CLI overview

provekit-cli is the primary entry point for preparing keys, proving, verifying, inspecting circuits, and exporting recursive-verifier inputs.

Rust API references: provekit-common · provekit-prover · provekit-verifier · provekit-r1cs-compiler. Unfamiliar terms? See the glossary.

From a source checkout, run commands through Cargo:

cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- <command> [options]

Most examples below assume the current directory contains a Noir package’s Nargo.toml. When in doubt, pass explicit artifact paths instead of relying on defaults.

Artifact defaults

Artifact	Default path	Produced by	Consumed by
Prover key	`<circuit>.pkp`	`prepare`	`prove`, `analyze-pkp`, FFI/WASM provers
Verifier key	`<circuit>.pkv`	`prepare`	`verify`, `show-inputs`, `generate-gnark-inputs`, verifier server
Proof	`./proof.np`	`prove`	`verify`, `show-inputs`, `generate-gnark-inputs`
Noir inputs	`./Prover.toml`	User / Noir tooling	`prove`
Recursive params	`./params_for_recursive_verifier`	`generate-gnark-inputs`	Go/gnark recursive verifier
Recursive R1CS	`./r1cs.json`	`generate-gnark-inputs`	Go/gnark recursive verifier, verifier server

Default key names come from the enclosing Nargo package name. When a command can’t infer the package, pass --pkp, --pkv, --prover, or --verifier explicitly.

Primary workflow

cd noir-examples/basic
cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- prepare
cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- prove
cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- verify

The same workflow with explicit paths:

cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- prepare \
  . \
  --pkp artifacts/basic.pkp \
  --pkv artifacts/basic.pkv \
  --hash skyscraper

cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- prove \
  --prover artifacts/basic.pkp \
  --input Prover.toml \
  --out artifacts/proof.np

cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- verify \
  --verifier artifacts/basic.pkv \
  --proof artifacts/proof.np

Keep the .pkp, .pkv, proof, inputs, circuit source, and --hash choice aligned. Regenerate artifacts after any change to the circuit, inputs, branch, or hash.

`prepare`

Compile a Noir package and write the ProveKit key files.

provekit-cli prepare [program_path] [options]

Option	Purpose
`program_path`	Directory containing `Nargo.toml`. Defaults to `.`.
`--package <name>`	Compile a single Noir package from a workspace.
`--workspace`	Compile every binary package in a Noir workspace.
`--target-dir <path>`	Override the Noir target directory for compiled artifacts.
`--deny-warnings`	Treat Noir warnings as errors.
`--silence-warnings`	Suppress Noir warnings.
`--print-acir`	Print the compiled ACIR.
`--skip-underconstrained-check`	Skip Noir’s under-constrained-values check.
`--skip-brillig-constraints-check`	Skip the Brillig call-constraints check.
`--force`	Force recompilation, ignoring cached artifacts.
`--pkp`, `-p <path>`	Output prover key path. Defaults to `<circuit>.pkp`.
`--pkv`, `-v <path>`	Output verifier key path. Defaults to `<circuit>.pkv`.
`--hash <name>`	Merkle commitment hash: `skyscraper`, `sha256`, `keccak`, `blake3`, or `poseidon2`. Defaults to `skyscraper`.

Notes:

--pkp and --pkv cannot be used when compiling multiple binary packages.
Keys generated with one hash configuration are only compatible with proofs generated from the matching keys.

`prove`

Read a prover key plus input TOML and write a proof.

provekit-cli prove [options]

Option	Purpose
`--prover`, `-p <path>`	Prover key path. Defaults to `<circuit>.pkp`.
`--input`, `-i <path>`	Noir input file. Defaults to `./Prover.toml`.
`--out`, `-o <path>`	Proof output path. Defaults to `./proof.np`.

prove consumes the prepared key material and writes a serialized NoirProof. For browser, mobile, or service integrations, treat the proof as an artifact that must stay paired with its verifier key and public inputs.

`verify`

Read a verifier key plus proof and verify the proof.

provekit-cli verify [options]

Option	Purpose
`--verifier`, `-v <path>`	Verifier key path. Defaults to `<circuit>.pkv`.
`--proof <path>`	Proof path. Defaults to `./proof.np`.

A verification failure usually means the proof, verifier key, public inputs, circuit, branch, or hash configuration don’t match. Regenerate from prepare when any of those inputs change.

Inspection and export commands

Command	Purpose
`circuit-stats <target/*.json>`	Analyze Noir ACIR circuit statistics and R1CS complexity. Noir only.
`analyze-pkp <file.pkp>`	Print the size breakdown of a Noir prover key. Noir only.
`show-inputs [--hex] <verifier.pkv> <proof.np>`	Display public inputs from a proof using ABI variable names.
`generate-gnark-inputs <verifier.pkv> <proof.np> [--params <path>] [--r1cs <path>]`	Export recursive-verifier parameters and an R1CS JSON file.

Example recursive-verifier export:

cargo run --release --bin provekit-cli -- generate-gnark-inputs \
  artifacts/basic.pkv \
  artifacts/proof.np \
  --params artifacts/params_for_recursive_verifier \
  --r1cs artifacts/r1cs.json

Profiling flags

The CLI prints span timing and memory statistics through its tracing layer. When built with the tracy feature, these global flags are also available:

Flag	Purpose
`--tracy`	Enable Tracy profiling.
`--tracy-allocations <depth>`	Track allocations at the given stack depth (`0` for no stack traces).
`--tracy-keepalive`	Keep the process alive after completion so Tracy can collect data.

Build with Tracy support before using those flags:

cargo run --release --features tracy --bin provekit-cli -- --tracy prepare

Troubleshooting quick links

Common errors, setup, artifact mismatch, WASM, and verifier-server failures.
Project status and versioning, read before mixing artifacts across branches.
Production checklist, pre-launch checks for ProveKit-backed workflows.