How to Verify an Imported Orb Version on CircleCI Server

Overview

Use the CircleCI CLI to check if a specific orb version has been imported and is available on your CircleCI Server instance. This helps confirm that orbs are ready for use in your workflows.

Prerequisites

CircleCI CLI installed on your local machine
Personal API token from your CircleCI Server instance
Orb details: namespace, name, and version (format: namespace/orb-name@x.y.z)
Your CircleCI Server hostname

To generate an API token: Log in to your CircleCI Server and go to <your-server-url>/account/api.

Instructions

Step 1: Open Your Terminal

Open your command line or terminal application.

Step 2: Run the Verification Command

Use this command to check the orb version:

circleci orb source <namespace>/<orb_name>@x.y.z --host <circleci_server_host> --token <api_token>

Example with actual values:

circleci orb source circleci/node@5.1.0 --host https://circleci.mycompany.com --token abc123def456

Replace these placeholders:

<namespace>/<orb_name>@x.y.z – Orb and version (example: circleci/node@5.1.0)
<circleci_server_host> – Server URL (example: https://circleci.mycompany.com)
<api_token> – Your personal API token

Outcome

If the orb exists: The full orb source code displays in your terminal, confirming the version is available for use in your configuration files.

If the orb doesn't exist: You'll see an error like Error: orb 'namespace/orb-name@x.y.z' not found. Contact your Server administrator to import the orb before using it.

Additional Resources

CircleCI CLI Documentation – Installing and using the CLI
Orbs Overview – Understanding CircleCI orbs
Managing API Tokens – Creating and managing tokens