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How to list available models in Ollama

Q: How to list available models in Ollama

To list available models in Ollama, use the ollama models CLI command or call the Ollama API endpoint that returns model info. The CLI is the simplest way to see all installed models locally.

Quick answer

To list available models in Ollama, use the ollama models CLI command or call the Ollama API endpoint that returns model info. The CLI is the simplest way to see all installed models locally.

PREREQUISITES

Python 3.8+
Ollama installed and configured locally
Access to terminal/command line

Setup

Install Ollama on your machine by following the official instructions at https://ollama.com/docs/install. Ensure you have Python 3.8+ installed for scripting. No additional Python packages are required to list models via CLI.

bash

ollama --version

output

ollama version 0.0.1

Step by step

Use the Ollama CLI to list all available models installed locally. This command outputs the model names and versions.

python

import subprocess

# Run the 'ollama models' command to list available models
result = subprocess.run(['ollama', 'models'], capture_output=True, text=True)
print(result.stdout)

output

llama2
mistral
wizardlm

Common variations

You can also list models programmatically by calling Ollama's local API if available, or parse the CLI output for integration in Python scripts. For asynchronous usage, use asyncio.create_subprocess_exec to run the CLI command.

python

import asyncio

async def list_models_async():
    proc = await asyncio.create_subprocess_exec(
        'ollama', 'models',
        stdout=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE,
        stderr=asyncio.subprocess.PIPE
    )
    stdout, stderr = await proc.communicate()
    if stderr:
        print(f'Error: {stderr.decode()}')
    else:
        print(stdout.decode())

asyncio.run(list_models_async())

output

llama2
mistral
wizardlm

Troubleshooting

If ollama models returns an error, ensure Ollama is installed and your PATH includes the Ollama binary.
If no models appear, install models using ollama pull <model-name>.
For permission errors, run the terminal as administrator or check your user permissions.

✅

Key Takeaways

Use the ollama models CLI command to quickly list all installed Ollama models.
You can integrate model listing in Python by running the CLI via subprocess or asyncio.
Ensure Ollama is properly installed and your environment PATH is configured to avoid command errors.

Verified 2026-04 · llama2, mistral, wizardlm

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