serverless/docs/providers/openwhisk/cli-reference/invoke.md

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description: Invoke an Apache OpenWhisk Function using the Serverless Framework
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### [Read this on the main serverless docs site](https://www.serverless.com/framework/docs/providers/openwhisk/cli-reference/invoke)

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# OpenWhisk - Invoke

Invokes deployed function. It allows to send event data to the function, read logs and display other important information of the function invocation.

```bash
serverless invoke [local] --function functionName
```

## Options

- `--function` or `-f` The name of the function in your service that you want to invoke. **Required**.
- `--data` or `-d` String data to be passed as an event to your function. By default data is read from standard input.
- `--path` or `-p` The path to a json file with input data to be passed to the invoked function. This path is relative to the root directory of the service.
- `--type` or `-t` The type of invocation. Either `RequestResponse`, `Event` or `DryRun`. Default is `RequestResponse`.
- `--log` or `-l` If set to `true` and invocation type is `RequestResponse`, it will output logging data of the invocation. Default is `false`.

## Provided lifecycle events

- `invoke:invoke`

# Invoke Local

Invokes a function locally for testing and logs the output. You can only invoke Node.js runtime locally at the moment. Keep in mind that we mock the `context` with simple mock data.

```bash
serverless invoke local --function functionName
```

## Options

- `--function` or `-f` The name of the function in your service that you want to invoke locally. **Required**.
- `--path` or `-p` The path to a json file holding input data to be passed to the invoked function. This path is relative to the
  root directory of the service. The json file should have event and context properties to hold your mocked event and context data.
- `--data` or `-d` String data to be passed as an event to your function. Keep in mind that if you pass both `--path` and `--data`, the data included in the `--path` file will overwrite the data you passed with the `--data` flag.

## Examples

### Apache OpenWhisk

```bash
serverless invoke --function functionName
```

This example will invoke your deployed function on the configured platform
endpoint. This will output the result of the invocation in your terminal.

#### Function invocation with data

```bash
serverless invoke --function functionName --data '{"name": "Bernie"}'
```

#### Function invocation with data from standard input

```bash
node dataGenerator.js | serverless invoke --function functionName
```

#### Function invocation with logging

```bash
serverless invoke --function functionName --log
```

Just like the first example, but will also outputs logging information about your invocation.

#### Function invocation with data passing

```bash
serverless invoke --function functionName --path lib/data.json
```

This example will pass the json data in the `lib/data.json` file (relative to the root of the service) while invoking
the specified/deployed function.