---
name: "git-annex-lookupkey"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "git-annex"
version: "10.20261026-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/git-annex-lookupkey"
---

# git-annex-lookupkey(1)

looks up key used for file

## NAME

git-annex-lookupkey - looks up key used for file

## SYNOPSIS

git annex lookupkey **\[file ...\]**

## DESCRIPTION

This plumbing-level command looks up the key used for a file in the index. The key is output to stdout. If there is no key (because the file is not present in the index, or is not a git-annex managed file), nothing is output, and it exits nonzero.

## OPTIONS

- **--ref**

  -

  Rather than looking for the specified files in the index, interpet them as git refs. For example to find the key used for somefile in tag v1.0:

-

  git-annex lookupkey v1.0:somefile

-

  - **--batch**

  Enable batch mode, in which a line containing the filename is read from stdin, the key is output to stdout (with a trailing newline), and repeat.

-

  Note that if there is no key corresponding to the file, an empty line is output to stdout instead.

-

  - **-z**

  Makes the **--batch** input be delimited by nulls instead of the usual newlines.

-

  - Also the [git-annex-common-options(1)](/git-annex-common-options/1.md) can be used.

  ## SEE ALSO

[git-annex(1)](/git-annex/1.md)

## AUTHOR

Joey Hess \<id@joeyh.name\>