---
name: "sq-inspect"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "sequoia-sq"
version: "1.4.1-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/sq-inspect"
---

# sq-inspect(1)

Inspect data, like file(1)

## NAME

sq-inspect - Inspect data, like [file(1)](/file/1.md)

## SYNOPSIS

**sq inspect** \[*OPTIONS*\] *FILE*

## DESCRIPTION

Inspect data, like [file(1)](/file/1.md).

It is often difficult to tell from cursory inspection using [cat(1)](/cat/1.md) or [file(1)](/file/1.md) what kind of OpenPGP one is looking at.  This subcommand inspects the data and provides a meaningful human-readable description of it.

\`sq inspect\` respects the reference time set by the top-level \`--time\` argument.  It uses the reference time when determining what binding signatures are active.

## OPTIONS

### Subcommand options

- **--cert**=*FINGERPRINT\|KEYID*

  Inspect certificates with the specified fingerprint or key ID

- **--cert-domain**=*DOMAIN*

  Inspect certificates where a user ID includes an email address for the specified domain (note: User IDs are not authenticated)

- **--cert-email**=*EMAIL*

  Inspect certificates where a user ID includes the specified email address (note: User IDs are not authenticated)

- **--cert-file**=*PATH*

  Read certificates from PATH

- **--cert-grep**=*PATTERN*

  Inspect certificates with a user ID that matches the pattern, case insensitively (note: User IDs are not authenticated)

- **--cert-userid**=*USERID*

  Inspect certificates with the specified user ID (note: User IDs are not authenticated)

- **--certifications**

  Print third-party certifications

- **--dump-bad-signatures**

  Dump signatures that are definitively bad

- *FILE*

  Read from FILE or stdin if FILE is '-'

-

  \[default: **-**\]

### Global options

See [**sq**(1)](/sq/1.md) for a description of the global options.

## EXAMPLES

Inspect a certificate.

```
sq inspect juliet.pgp
```

Show how the certificate looked on July 21, 2013.

```
sq inspect --time 20130721 juliet.pgp
```

Inspect an encrypted message.

```
sq inspect message.pgp
```

Inspect a detached signature.

```
sq inspect document.sig
```

## SEE ALSO

[**sq**(1)](/sq/1.md).

For the full documentation see \<https://book.sequoia-pgp.org/\>.

## VERSION

1\.4.1