---
layout: "docs"
page_title: "Inspect - Command-Line"
---

# Command-Line: Inspect

The `packer inspect` command takes a template and outputs the various components
a template defines. This can help you quickly learn about a template without
having to dive into the JSON itself.
The command will tell you things like what variables a template accepts,
the builders it defines, the provisioners it defines and the order they'll
run, and more.

This command is extra useful when used with
[machine-readable output](/docs/command-line/machine-readable.html) enabled.
The command outputs the components in a way that is parseable by machines.

The command doesn't validate the actual configuration of the various
components (that is what the `validate` command is for), but it will
validate the syntax of your template by necessity.

## Usage Example

Given a basic template, here is an example of what the output might
look like:

```
$ packer inspect template.json
Variables and their defaults:

  aws_access_key =
  aws_secret_key =

Builders:

  amazon-ebs
  amazon-instance
  virtualbox

Provisioners:

  shell
```
