Genie Code CLI

Important

This feature is in Beta. It is an early release, and its capabilities, commands, and interfaces change frequently.

Genie Code CLI is a coding agent that runs locally in your terminal and is tuned for data and AI work on Azure Databricks. It works like other terminal coding agents, but comes preconfigured to understand Azure Databricks and to work naturally with your data, pipelines, models, and apps.

Because it runs on your machine, Genie Code CLI can read and edit your local files, run commands, and reach into Azure Databricks on your behalf. It uses the Databricks CLI, including the databricks genie commands such as databricks genie ask, to discover data and answer questions about it. During Beta, model access is provided and governed through Unity Gateway, so you do not bring your own model subscription.

Requirements

  • Your workspace must have ADI Services enabled to access the models that Genie Code CLI uses. See ADI Services.

Genie Code CLI runs under your own identity, so it can only access data and perform operations that your Azure Databricks permissions allow.

Install and set up

  1. Install the Databricks CLI (version 1.0.0 or above) separately, if you have not already. See Install or update the Databricks CLI.

  2. Install Genie Code CLI with the command for your operating system.

    Linux or macOS

    curl -fsSL https://github.com/databricks/genie-code-cli/releases/latest/download/install.sh | bash

    Windows

    Run the following in PowerShell:

    powershell -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -c "irm https://github.com/databricks/genie-code-cli/releases/latest/download/install.ps1 | iex"

  3. Confirm the installation:

    genie --version

  4. Change into your project directory and start Genie Code CLI:

    cd my-project
genie

  5. When prompted, select a Databricks CLI profile, or authenticate if you have not configured one. See Authentication for the Databricks CLI.

  6. Confirm that you trust the contents of the directory, then start prompting.

What you can do with it

Genie Code CLI can work directly with local files, discover and query your Unity Catalog data through Genie, and build and deploy Azure Databricks assets from a single conversation in the terminal. For example:

  • Ingest and govern: "Clean up these monthly sales CSVs, load them into Unity Catalog, and show me revenue by region over time."
  • Explore your data: "Which of my catalogs has customer churn data, and what were the top drivers last quarter?"
  • Extend a pipeline: "Add a silver refunds table to my orders pipeline and backfill the last 90 days."
  • Train and serve a model: "Run this training script on Azure Databricks and put the model behind a serving endpoint."
  • Build and ship an app: "Build a local app prototype for my customers table and deploy it as a Azure Databricks App."

How Genie Code CLI differs from Genie Code in the workspace

Genie Code CLI is a separate experience built for local, terminal-based work. It has its own tools, skills, and instructions, and at this time does not share them with Genie Code in the Azure Databricks workspace. It also does not yet include all of the capabilities available in the workspace UI.

Use Genie Code CLI as a terminal-native companion when you are working locally with files, scripts, and prototypes. Continue to use Genie Code in the workspace for the richer, fully featured experience.

Billing

Genie Code CLI usage is billed the same as using the model directly through Unity Gateway, and appears in your Unity Gateway usage. It is not billed under Genie pricing.

To control spend, workspace admins can set budgets for Unity Gateway. See Manage budgets for Unity Gateway.

Limitations

  • Model selection is managed by Azure Databricks. You cannot choose a specific model. During Beta, Genie Code CLI uses GPT 5.6. The selection may differ from other Genie surfaces, and it can change over time.
  • Currently, Genie Code CLI is not billed under Genie usage, and is not impacted by Genie budgets. To control spend, set budgets for Unity Gateway. See Manage budgets for Unity Gateway.
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