---
layout: docs
sidebar_current: docs-commands-inspect
page_title: packer inspect - Commands
description: |-
  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.
---

# `inspect` Command

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/commands/index.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:

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

  aws_access_key =
  aws_secret_key =

Builders:

  amazon-ebs
  amazon-instance
  virtualbox-iso

Provisioners:

  shell
```