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Connect CLI to Devnet

Let's connect the Sui CLI you installed in Install Sui CLI to Devnet. It's not difficult—just run a few commands and you're done.

info

You only need to do this setup once.

Initial Sui CLI Setup​

When using Sui CLI for the first time, you need to run the initial setup. Run the following command:

sui client envs

First-Time Setup (No Config File)​

If you see the following message, initial setup is required:

No sui config found in `/home/user/.sui/sui_config/client.yaml`, create one [Y/n]?

Type y and press Enter. A keypair (address) will be automatically generated and the setup will complete.

y
Generated new keypair and alias for address with scheme "ed25519" [alias: 0x...]
  secret recovery phrase : [word1 word2 word3 ...]
Created "/home/user/.sui/sui_config/client.yaml"
Set active environment to testnet
╭─────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┬────────╮
│ alias   │ url                                 │ active │
├─────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┼────────┤
│ testnet │ https://fullnode.testnet.sui.io:443 │ *      │
│ mainnet │ https://fullnode.mainnet.sui.io:443 │        │
│ devnet  │ https://fullnode.devnet.sui.io:443  │        │
│ local   │ http://127.0.0.1:9000               │        │
╰─────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┴────────╯
Keep your recovery phrase safe

Your secret recovery phrase (also called seed phrase) is the "key" to your wallet.

  • Never share it with anyone.
  • Do not take screenshots or store it in chats, emails, or cloud notes.
  • Write it down on paper and store it offline in a safe place.

If Already Configured​

If the network list appears without any prompt, the initial setup is already complete. Proceed to the next section.

Connect to Devnet​

The default after initial setup is testnet. Let's switch to Devnet.

sui client switch --env devnet

On success, you'll see:

Active environment switched to [devnet]

Verify the switch:

sui client active-env

If it shows devnet, you're all set.

View available networks

Use sui client envs to see all configured networks. The * in the active column indicates the current network.

╭─────────┬─────────────────────────────────────┬────────╮
│ alias   │ url                                 │ active │
├─────────┼─────────────────────────────────────┼────────┤
│ testnet │ https://fullnode.testnet.sui.io:443 │        │
│ mainnet │ https://fullnode.mainnet.sui.io:443 │        │
│ devnet  │ https://fullnode.devnet.sui.io:443  │ *      │
│ local   │ http://127.0.0.1:9000               │        │
╰─────────┴─────────────────────────────────────┴────────╯

Check Your Address​

Let's check the address associated with your CLI.

sui client active-address

You'll see an address starting with 0x:

0x1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef

This is your Sui CLI wallet address.

Verify Success​

You're all set if you can confirm the following:

  • sui client active-env returns devnet
  • sui client active-address shows an address (0x...)

What You Did in This Lesson​

  • Completed Sui CLI initial setup
  • Connected to Devnet
  • Verified your CLI address