---
description: "Get the source code of a contract from a block explorer"
---

_Generated from `cast source --help`; see [CLI reference versions](/reference/versions). Regenerate this page instead of editing it directly._

## cast source

Get the source code of a contract from a block explorer

:::terminal

```bash
$ cast source --help
```

```txt
Usage: cast source [OPTIONS] <ADDRESS>

Arguments:
  <ADDRESS>
          The contract's address

Options:
  -f, --flatten
          Whether to flatten the source code

  -d <DIRECTORY>
          The output directory/file to expand source tree into

  -e, --etherscan-api-key <KEY>
          The Etherscan (or equivalent) API key
          
          [env: ETHERSCAN_API_KEY=]

  -c, --chain <CHAIN>
          The chain name or EIP-155 chain ID
          
          [env: CHAIN=]

      --explorer-api-url <EXPLORER_API_URL>
          Alternative explorer API URL to use that adheres to the Etherscan API.
          If not provided, defaults to Etherscan
          
          [env: EXPLORER_API_URL=]

      --explorer-url <EXPLORER_URL>
          Alternative explorer browser URL
          
          [env: EXPLORER_URL=]

  -h, --help
          Print help (see a summary with '-h')

  -j, --threads <THREADS>
          Number of threads to use. Specifying 0 defaults to the number of
          logical cores
          
          [alias: --jobs]

      --profile <PROFILE>
          The configuration profile to use

Display options:
      --color <COLOR>
          The color of the log messages

          Possible values:
          - auto:   Intelligently guess whether to use color output (default)
          - always: Force color output
          - never:  Force disable color output

      --json
          Format log messages as JSON

      --md
          Format log messages as Markdown

  -q, --quiet
          Do not print log messages

  -v, --verbosity...
          Verbosity level of the log messages.
          
          Pass multiple times to increase the verbosity (e.g. -v, -vv, -vvv).
          
          Depending on the context the verbosity levels have different meanings.
          
          For example, the verbosity levels of the EVM are:
          - 2 (-vv): Print logs for all tests.
          - 3 (-vvv): Print execution traces for failing tests.
          - 4 (-vvvv): Print execution traces for all tests, and setup traces
          for failing tests.
          - 5 (-vvvvv): Print execution and setup traces for all tests,
          including storage changes and
            backtraces with line numbers.
```

:::