---
layout: commands
page_title: 'Commands: Services'
description: |
  The `consul services` command interacts with services registered with the local agent. It exposes top-level commands for registering and deregistering services with the Consul catalog.
---

# Consul Agent Services

Command: `consul services`

The `services` command has subcommands for interacting with Consul services
registered with the [local agent](/consul/docs/agent). These provide
useful commands such as `register` and `deregister` for easily registering
services in scripts, dev mode, etc.
To view all services in the catalog, instead of only agent-local services,
see the [`catalog services`](/consul/commands/catalog/services) command.

## Usage

Usage: `consul services <subcommand>`

For the exact documentation for your Consul version, run `consul services -h` to
view the complete list of subcommands.

```text
Usage: consul services <subcommand> [options] [args]

  ...

Subcommands:
    deregister    Deregister services with the local agent
    register      Register services with the local agent
    export        Export services from one cluster peer or admin partition to another
```

For more information, examples, and usage about a subcommand, click on the name
of the subcommand in the sidebar.

## Basic Examples

To create a simple service:

```shell-session
$ consul services register -name=web
```

To create a service from a configuration file:

```shell-session
$ cat web.json
{
  "Service": {
    "Name": "web"
  }
}

$ consul services register web.json
```

To deregister a service:

```
# Either style works:
$ consul services deregister web.json

$ consul services deregister -id web
```
