KeePass Help Center KeePass Home | Downloads | Translations | Plugins | Donate 
Help Center Home | Forums | Awards | Links 







Single Command Operations

How to use KPScript with single command operations to perform simple database operations.

KPScript can be invoked using single commands. By passing the database location, its key, a command and eventually some parameters, simple operations like adding an entry can be performed. The syntax is very simple, no scripting knowledge is required. This method is ideal when you quickly want to do some small changes to the database. It is not recommended when you need to perform many operations, because for each command the database needs to be loaded from file, decrypted, modified, encrypted and written back to file.

Commands are specified by passing -c:COMMAND to KPScript, where COMMAND is the command to execute (see below for a list of available commands).

The database location is passed to KPScript by just passing it as a parameter, without any option prefix.


Master Key

The master key for the database can be passed to KPScript using one of the following ways:

  • Command line parameters. Using the -pw:, -pw-enc:, -keyfile: and -useraccount parameters. For example, to pass "Secret" as password, you'd give KPScript the following parameter: -pw:Secret. If the password contains spaces or other special characters, it must be enclosed in quotes: -pw:"My Top Secret Password". For -pw-enc:, see the {PASSWORD_ENC} placeholder. The -keyfile: parameter can specify the key file location. If -useraccount is passed to KPScript, the user account credentials of the currently logged on user are used, otherwise not.
  • Reading from StdIn. If you pass -keyprompt to KPScript, it will read the password, the key file path and the user account flag from the StdIn stream. This option is intended for programmatically passing the key to KPScript. For entering the password by hand, it is recommended to use the normal master key dialog instead (because in this dialog the password is hidden by bullets/asterisks and it is encrypted by the process memory protection), see -guikeyprompt.
  • Entering interactively using graphical user interface. If you pass -guikeyprompt to KPScript, it will prompt you for the key using the normal master key dialog of KeePass.

Available Commands

Please note that commands are added incrementally based on user requests. If you are missing a command, please let the KeePass team know and it will be added to the next release of KPScript.

Currently, the following commands are available:



Command: ListGroups

This command lists all groups in a format that easily machine-readable. The output is not intended to be printed/used directly. Usage example:

KPScript -c:ListGroups "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPassword
This will list all groups contained in the MyDb.kdbx database file.



Command: ListEntries

This command lists all entries in a format that easily machine-readable. The output is not intended to be printed/used directly. The entry identification syntax is exactly the same as in the EditEntry command. Usage example:

KPScript -c:ListEntries "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPassword -keyfile:"C:\KeePass\MyDb.key"
Opens the MyDb.kdbx database using 'MyPassword' as password and the MyDb.key file as key file. It will output a list of all entries contained in the MyDb.kdbx database file.



Command: GetEntryString

Retrieves the value of an entry string field. The entry identification syntax is exactly the same as in the EditEntry command. Additional command line parameters:

  • -Field:NAME
    The field name can be specified using the '-Field' parameter. Supported field names are e.g. Title, UserName, Password, URL, Notes, etc.
  • -FailIfNotExists
    If you pass the option '-FailIfNotExists' and the specified field does not exist, the operation is aborted and an error is returned.
  • -FailIfNoEntry
    If you pass the option '-FailIfNoEntry' and no entry is found, KPScript terminates with an error.
  • -Spr
    Spr-compiles the value of the field, i.e. placeholders are replaced, field references are resolved, etc.

Usage example:

KPScript -c:GetEntryString "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPassword -Field:UserName -ref-Title:"Demo Account"
Opens the MyDb.kdbx database using 'MyPassword' as password. It outputs the user names of all entries that have the title "Demo Account".



Command: AddEntry

This command adds an entry to the database. To specify the entry details, use the standard string field identifiers as parameter names and their values for the contents. Supported standard string fields are: Title, UserName, Password, URL, and Notes. Usage examples:

KPScript -c:AddEntry "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -Title:"New entry title"

KPScript -c:AddEntry "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -Title:SomeWebsite -UserName:Don -Password:pao5j3eg -URL:https://example.com/

Additional command line parameters:

  • -GroupName:NAME
    The -GroupName: parameter can be used to specify the group in which the entry is created. For searching, KPScript performs a pre-order traversal and uses the first matching group (the name is case-sensitive). If no group with the specified name is found, it will be created in the root group.
  • -GroupPath:PATH
    The full path of the group can be specified using the -GroupPath: parameter (use '/' as separator). If you do not specify a group name or path, the entry will be created in the root group.
  • -setx-Icon:ID
    Set the icon of the entry to the standard icon having index ID.
  • -setx-CustomIcon:ID
    Set the icon of the entry to the custom icon having index ID.
  • -setx-Expires:VALUE
    Sets whether the entry expires or not. VALUE must be either true or false.
  • -setx-ExpiryTime:VALUE
    Sets the expiry date/time of the entry.

Usage example:

KPScript -c:AddEntry "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -Title:"My Provider" -GroupName:"Internet Sites"



Command: EditEntry

This command edits existing entries.

Use one or more of the following parameters to identify the entries to be edited; all of the specified conditions must match:

  • -ref-FIELDNAME:FIELDVALUE
    The string field FIELDNAME must have the value FIELDVALUE.
    If the value is enclosed in '//', it is treated as a regular expression, which must occur in the entry field for the entry to match. For example, -ref-Title:"//Test\d\d//" matches every entry whose title contains 'Test' followed by at least two digits.
  • -refx-UUID:VALUE
    The UUID of the entry must be VALUE.
  • -refx-Tags:VALUE
    The entry must have the specified tags. Multiple tags can be separated using commas ','.
  • -refx-Expires:VALUE
    VALUE must be true or false. This parameter allows to specify whether the entry expires sometime (i.e. whether the 'Expires' checkbox is checked, independent of the expiry time).
  • -refx-Expired:VALUE
    VALUE must be true or false. This parameter allows to specify whether the entry has expired (i.e. whether the 'Expires' checkbox is checked and the expiry time is not in the future).
  • -refx-Group:VALUE
    The name of the parent group of the entry must be VALUE.
  • -refx-GroupPath:VALUE
    The full path of the parent group of the entry must be VALUE. Use '/' as group separator in the path.
  • -refx-All
    Matches all entries.

Use one or more of the following parameters to specify how the entry should be edited:

  • -set-FIELDNAME:FIELDVALUE
    Sets the string field FIELDNAME of the entry to the value FIELDVALUE.
  • -setx-Icon:ID
    Set the icon of the entry to the standard icon having index ID.
  • -setx-CustomIcon:ID
    Set the icon of the entry to the custom icon having index ID.
  • -setx-Expires:VALUE
    Sets whether the entry expires or not. VALUE must be either true or false.
  • -setx-ExpiryTime:VALUE
    Sets the expiry date/time of the entry.

Usage examples:

KPScript -c:EditEntry "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -ref-Title:"Existing entry title" -set-UserName:"New user name"

KPScript -c:EditEntry "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -ref-UserName:MyName -set-UserName:NewName -set-Password:"Top Secret"

If you additionally pass -CreateBackup, KPScript will first create backups of entries before modifying them.



Command: MoveEntry

This command moves one or more existing entries. The entry identification syntax is exactly the same as in the EditEntry command.

  • -GroupPath:PATH
    The target group can be specified using the -GroupPath: parameter. '/' must be used as separator (e.g. -GroupPath:Internet/eMail moves the specified entries to the subgroup 'eMail' of the subgroup 'Internet').
  • -GroupName:NAME
    The -GroupName: parameter can be used (see the AddEntry command for details).


Command: DeleteEntry

This command deletes one or more existing entries. The entry identification syntax is exactly the same as in the EditEntry command.



Command: DeleteAllEntries

This command deletes all entries (in all subgroups).



Command: Import

This command imports a file into the database.

  • -Format:NAME
    The format is specified by setting the "-Format" parameter (see names in the import dialog of KeePass).
  • -File:PATH
    The file to import to is specified using the "-File" parameter.
  • -MM:VALUE
    If the format supports UUIDs, the behavior for groups/entries that exist in both the current database and the import file can be specified using the optional "-MM" parameter. Possible values are "CreateNewUuids", "KeepExisting", "OverwriteExisting", "OverwriteIfNewer", and "Sync". By default, new UUIDs are created.
  • -imp_*:VALUE
    For encrypted import files, by default the master key of the target database is used. However, it is also possible to specify a different master key, using the usual master key command line parameters with the prefix '-imp_' (i.e. -imp_pw:, -imp_pw-enc:, -imp_keyfile:, -imp_useraccount, -imp_keyprompt, -imp_guikeyprompt).

Usage example:

KPScript -c:Import "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -Format:"KeePass XML (2.x)" -File:SourceFile.xml



Command: Export

This command exports (parts of) the database.

  • -Format:NAME
    The format is specified by setting the "-Format" parameter (see names in the export dialog of KeePass).
  • -OutFile:PATH
    The file to export to is specified using the "-OutFile" parameter.
  • -GroupPath:PATH
    If a specific group should be exported (instead of the whole database), specify the group using the "-GroupPath" parameter (use '/' as separator).
  • -XslFile:PATH
    For the XSL transformation export module, the path of the XSL file can be passed using the "-XslFile" parameter.

Usage example:

KPScript -c:Export "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -Format:"KeePass XML (2.x)" -OutFile:TargetFile.xml



Command: Sync

This command synchronizes the database with another one. The other database path has to be specified using the "-File" command line parameter. Usage example:

KPScript -c:Sync -guikeyprompt "C:\Path\A.kdbx" -File:"C:\Path\B.kdbx"



Command: ChangeMasterKey

This command changes the master key of the database. The new key values are specified using the standard options prefixed with 'new', i.e. -newpw:, -newkeyfile: and -newuseraccount (all are optional). Usage example:

KPScript -c:ChangeMasterKey "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx" -pw:MyPw -newpw:MyNewPw



Command: DetachBins

This command saves all entry attachments (into the directory of the database) and removes them from the database. Usage example:

KPScript -c:DetachBins -guikeyprompt "C:\KeePass\MyDb.kdbx"



Command: GenPw

Generates passwords.

  • -count:NUMBER
    The number of passwords can be specified using the optional -count: parameter.
  • -profile:NAME
    A password generator profile can be specified using the optional -profile: parameter (the names of all available profiles can be found in the password generator dialog).

Usage examples:

KPScript -c:GenPw
Generates one password using the default generator profile.

KPScript -c:GenPw -count:5 -profile:"Hex Key - 128-Bit (built-in)"
Generates five 128-bit hex passwords (when no translation is used).



Command: EstimateQuality

Estimates the quality (in bits) of the password specified via the -text: parameter. Usage example:

KPScript -c:EstimateQuality -text:MyTopSecretPassword


Console Character Encoding

If you observe garbled special characters in the output, please read the page Console Character Encoding.









Get KeePass