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P4 CLI Documentation | 2026.1

# p4 replicate

Poll for journal changes on one P4 Server for forwarding to another P4 Server.

## Syntax

    p4 replicate [-j token] [-s statefile] [-i interval] [-k -x -R] [-J prefix]
                 [-T tables] [-o output] [command]

Syntax and naming conventions

## Description

This command polls for new journal entries from a P4 Server, and either outputs them to standard output, or, if a `command` is specified, pipe the journal records to the `command`, which is spawned as a subprocess.

## Options

Option | Description
--- | ---
`-i interval` | Specify a polling interval, in seconds. The default is two seconds. To disable polling (that is, to check once for updated journal entries and then exit), specify an `interval` of `0`.
`-j token` | Specify a journal number or position token of the form ``journalnum`/`byteoffset`` from which to start replicating metadata. If this option is specified, it overrides any state file specification.
`-J prefix` | Specifies a filename prefix for the journal, such as that used with `p4d -jc prefix`.
`-k` | Keep the pipe to the `command` subprocess open between polling intervals.
`-o savefile` | Specify a file for output. If a `command` subprocess is specified, both the subprocess and the specified savefile are provided with the output.
`-R` | The `-R` option causes `p4 replicate` to attempt reconnection to the server in the event of connection loss or serious error. A polling interval must be specified with `-i interval`.
`-s statefile` | Specify a state file which tracks the most recent journal position. You can also use the `statefile` configurable to specify the state file.
`-T tables` | Supply a list of database tables (for example, `db.have`) to exclude from export.
`-x` | Exit the `p4 replicate` command when journal rotation is detected.
`g-opts` | See Global options.

## Usage notes

Can File Arguments Use Revision Specifier? | Can File Arguments Use Revision Range? | Minimal Access Level Required
--- | --- | ---
N/A | N/A | `super`

- Use `p4 replicate` in situations where you need to replicate metadata (but not archived files), or when you need to perform filtering operations on metadata. In most situations, replication with `p4 pull` is preferable to `p4 replicate`.

- See Replication in the P4 Server Administration Documentation.

## Related commands

To update file content as well as journal records | `p4 pull`
To display journal or checkpoint records in raw form | `p4 export`

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