Kaggle CLI Configuration

January 15, 2026 ยท View on GitHub

The Kaggle CLI uses a configuration file to store settings such as your API credentials and default values for commands.

Configuration Commands

config view

Displays the current configuration values.

Usage:

kaggle config view

Purpose:

This command allows you to inspect the current settings of your Kaggle CLI, such as the configured API endpoint, proxy settings, and default competition.

config set

Sets a specific configuration value.

Usage:

kaggle config set -n <NAME> -v <VALUE>

Arguments:

  • -n, --name <NAME>: The name of the configuration parameter to set. Valid options are competition, path, and proxy.
  • -v, --value <VALUE>: The value to set for the configuration parameter.
    • For competition: The competition URL suffix (e.g., titanic).
    • For path: The default folder where files will be downloaded.
    • For proxy: The proxy server URL.

Example:

Set the default competition to "titanic":

kaggle config set -n competition -v titanic

Purpose:

Use this command to customize the behavior of the Kaggle CLI, such as setting a default competition to avoid specifying it in every command, defining a default download path, or configuring a proxy server.

config unset

Clears a specific configuration value, reverting it to its default.

Usage:

kaggle config unset -n <NAME>

Arguments:

  • -n, --name <NAME>: The name of the configuration parameter to clear. Valid options are competition, path, and proxy.

Example:

Clear the default competition:

kaggle config unset -n competition

Purpose:

This command removes a previously set configuration value, allowing the CLI to use its default behavior or prompt for the value if required.

Configuration File Location

The Kaggle CLI configuration is typically stored in a file named kaggle.json located in the ~/.kaggle/ directory on Linux and macOS, or C:\Users\<Windows-username>\.kaggle\ on Windows.

This file contains your API username and key:

{"username":"YOUR_USERNAME","key":"YOUR_API_KEY"}

You can download this file from your Kaggle account page (https://www.kaggle.com/<YOUR_USERNAME>/account) and place it in the correct directory.

Alternatively, you can set the KAGGLE_USERNAME and KAGGLE_KEY environment variables.