Tutorials

How to Install and Use Nuclei on Kali Linux

Richard (Senior Manager)

Study duration : 4 Minutes

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2026/02/03

Nuclei on Kali Linux is usually the first tool people run before moving on to a full penetration test. Instead of jumping straight into exploitation, it’s used to quickly check whether a target has known issues that are already documented.

Nuclei works with simple templates and sends direct requests to a target. You point it at a domain or a list of URLs, run the scan, and review what comes back. That’s why it’s commonly used for quick checks, repeated scans, and early-stage testing.

This article shows how to install and use Nuclei on Kali Linux, with only the basic steps needed to get it running.

In practice, this is often used during early recon to catch common issues before spending time on manual testing.

Installing Nuclei on Kali Linux

In this section, we will explain the installation of Nuclei on Kali Linux. Follow the steps below and enter the required commands.

First, update your system packages by entering the following command:

sudo apt update

Now it’s time to install Nuclei on Kali Linux. Install it with:

sudo apt install nuclei

When should you use Nuclei?

Nuclei is usually run early in a test to catch common issues before moving on to manual work. It helps reduce noise and saves time by flagging things that are already known.

How to Use Nuclei on Kali Linux

In this step, you will learn how to use Nuclei on Kali Linux.

If you want to scan one website, run the following command:

nuclei -u https://example.com -t yourTeamplatefolder

You can scan a list of targets by entering the following command:

nuclei -list urls.txt -t yourtemplatefolder

After running a scan, Nuclei returns matched templates along with the affected endpoint. Results usually include the template name, severity, and the target where the issue was found.

That’s it! The installation of Nuclei is completed successfully.