---
title: Command naming conventions for Unity CLI
product: Unity command-line interface (CLI)
canonical: https://docs.unity.com/en-us/unity-cli/command-name-conventions
last_updated: 2026-11-06
generated_at: 2026-11-10T22:12:00.499Z
locale: en-us
---

# Command naming conventions for Unity CLI

> Name groups, commands, arguments, and tags consistently when you define Unity CLI commands in the Pipeline package or a CLI extension.

Use these conventions when you author commands with the `[CliCommand]` attribute in the [Unity Pipeline package](/unity-cli/unity-pipeline/unity-pipeline-package.md) (`com.unity.pipeline`) or in any Unity CLI extension. Consistent names make commands easier to discover and predict, for both people and AI agents.

These conventions cover command groups, command names, argument names, and tags. They don't cover the commands that ship with the `unity` binary itself, such as `unity install` or `unity open`. For those commands, refer to [Unity CLI reference](/unity-cli/reference.md).

> **Important:**
>
> These conventions apply to `com.unity.pipeline` version 0.9.0-exp.1 and later. Earlier versions of the package use different command names, so scripts and batch JSON written for earlier versions might need updates. The package is still experimental, which is why these naming changes are happening now. After the package reaches general availability (GA), command names will stay stable.

## Command structure

Every command belongs to exactly one group and has a name that's unique within that group. The group is where the command lives, such as `prefab` or `animation.animator`. The name is what the command does, such as `create` or `create_controller`.

The following table describes each part of a command:

| Term          | Description                                                                                                                                                  | Example                                       |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------- |
| Group         | Where the command lives. Every command has exactly one group, and the group is required. A group can contain subgroups, separated by dots.                   | `prefab`, `animation.animator`                |
| Name          | The operation the command performs, relative to its group. A name only needs to be unique within its group.                                                  | `create`, `get_settings`, `create_controller` |
| id            | The group and name joined with a dot. The server uses the id to match commands, and batch JSON uses it to refer to a command. The id isn't shown in the CLI. | `animation.animator.create_controller`        |
| MCP tool name | The id with each dot replaced by an underscore. MCP clients see the command under this name.                                                                 | `animation_animator_create_controller`        |
| Tags          | Optional labels that describe what a command is like. A command can have zero or more tags. Tags don't indicate where a command lives.                       | `destructive`, `async`, `runtime`, `dry_run`  |

## Next steps

[Define commands](/unity-cli/command-name-conventions/define-command.md): Define Unity CLI commands with the CliCommand attribute, and choose consistent names for groups, commands, arguments, and tags.

[Run commands](/unity-cli/command-name-conventions/run-command-cli.md): Use unity command to run custom commands and Pipeline package commands, list command group contents, and learn how the Unity CLI resolves commands.


## Additional resources

* [Use the Unity CLI](/unity-cli/use-unity-cli.md)
* [Unity CLI reference](/unity-cli/reference.md)
* [Install Pipeline package](/unity-cli/unity-pipeline/unity-pipeline-package.md)