Set the active JFrog CLI server

The active server is the default target for JFrog CLI commands when you do not pass --server-id or related environment overrides. jf config use switches that default to another configured server ID. The setting is persisted in your CLI configuration file.

This topic covers:

• Set the active server and confirm
• Override the server for a single command or session

Synopsis

jf config use <server-id>

Aliases: none

Where:

• <server-id>: The configured server ID to make active.

Arguments

Flags

None.

Examples

Set the Active Server

To set the active server:

1. Run:

   Bash

   jf config use <server-id>

   Where:

   • <server-id>: The server ID to use as the default.

   For example:

   Bash

   jf config use staging-server

   Expected output:

   [Info] Using server ID 'staging-server'

2. To confirm the change, run:

   Bash

   jf config show

   You should see staging-server listed as Default: true.

Override the server for a single command or session

If you only need a different server for one command or for the current shell session, you do not have to change the global default.

To override the server for a single command:

• Run the command with --server-id. The value must be a server ID you configured with jf config add.

  Bash

  jf rt ping --server-id=<server-id>

  Where:

  • <server-id>: The server ID to use for this invocation only.

  For example:

  Bash

  jf rt ping --server-id=prod-server

  The --server-id flag takes precedence over both the active server set by jf config use and the JFROG_CLI_SERVER_ID environment variable.

To override the server for the current terminal session:

1. Export the environment variable:

   Bash

   export JFROG_CLI_SERVER_ID=<server-id>

   Where:

   • <server-id>: Server ID to use until you close the shell or unset JFROG_CLI_SERVER_ID.

   For example:

   Bash

   export JFROG_CLI_SERVER_ID=prod-server

2. Run CLI commands as usual. They use prod-server without changing the active config stored by jf config use:

   Bash

   jf rt ping

When to Use

Use jf config use when you have multiple server configurations (for example, dev-server, staging-server, prod-server) and want to switch the default for all subsequent commands.

Important Notes

• The active server setting persists across sessions — it is stored in the configuration file (~/.jfrog/jfrog-cli.conf.v6).
• Using --server-id on a command always overrides the active server for that command only.
• The JFROG_CLI_SERVER_ID environment variable overrides the active server for the entire terminal session (until you close the terminal or run unset JFROG_CLI_SERVER_ID).
• Concurrent sessions: All terminal sessions share the same configuration file. If multiple terminals run jf config use simultaneously, the last write wins and silently overrides earlier changes. For parallel or CI/CD workflows, use --server-id or JFROG_CLI_SERVER_ID instead of switching the global active server.