---
layout: commands
page_title: 'Commands: Operator Usage'
description: >
  The operator usage command provides cluster-level tools for Consul operators
  to view usage information, such as service and service instance counts.
---

# Consul Operator Usage

Command: `consul operator usage`

The Usage `operator` command provides cluster-level tools for Consul operators
to view usage information, such as service and service instance counts.

```text
Usage: consul operator usage <subcommand> [options]

  # ...

Subcommands:
    instances    Display service instance usage information
```

## instances

Corresponding HTTP API Endpoint: [\[GET\] /v1/operator/usage](/consul/api-docs/operator/usage#operator-usage)

This command retrieves usage information about the number of services registered in a given
datacenter. By default, the datacenter of the local agent is queried.

The table below shows this command's [required ACLs](/consul/api-docs/api-structure#authentication). Configuration of
[blocking queries](/consul/api-docs/features/blocking) and [agent caching](/consul/api-docs/features/caching)
are not supported from commands, but may be from the corresponding HTTP endpoint.

| ACL Required    |
| --------------- |
| `operator:read` |

Usage: `consul operator usage instances`

The output looks like this:

```text
$ consul operator usage instances
Billable Service Instances Total: 3
dc1 Billable Service Instances: 3

Billable Services
Services      Service instances
2             3

Connect Services
Type                     Service instances
connect-native           0
connect-proxy            0
ingress-gateway          0
mesh-gateway             1
terminating-gateway      0
```

With the `-all-datacenters` flag:

```text
$ consul operator usage instances -all-datacenters
Billable Service Instances Total: 4
dc1 Billable Service Instances: 3
dc2 Billable Service Instances: 1

Billable Services
Datacenter      Services      Service instances
dc1             2             3
dc2             1             1

Total           3             4

Connect Services
Datacenter      Type                     Service instances
dc1             connect-native           0
dc1             connect-proxy            0
dc1             ingress-gateway          0
dc1             mesh-gateway             1
dc1             terminating-gateway      0
dc2             connect-native           0
dc2             connect-proxy            0
dc2             ingress-gateway          0
dc2             mesh-gateway             1
dc2             terminating-gateway      1

Total                                    3
```

#### Command Options

- `-all-datacenters` - Display service counts from all known datacenters.
  Default is `false`.

- `-billable` - Display only billable service information. Default is `false`.

- `-connect` - Display only Consul service mesh component information. Default is `false`.