---
title: debug profile
categories: |
  debug
version: 0.104.0
debug: |
  Profile pipeline elements in a closure.
usage: |
  Profile pipeline elements in a closure.
editLink: false
contributors: false
---
<!-- This file is automatically generated. Please edit the command in https://github.com/nushell/nushell instead. -->

# `debug profile` for [debug](/commands/categories/debug.md)

<div class='command-title'>Profile pipeline elements in a closure.</div>

## Signature

```> debug profile {flags} (closure)```

## Flags

 -  `--spans, -s`: Collect spans of profiled elements
 -  `--expand-source, -e`: Collect full source fragments of profiled elements
 -  `--values, -v`: Collect pipeline element output values
 -  `--lines, -l`: Collect line numbers
 -  `--duration-values, -d`: Report instruction duration as duration values rather than milliseconds
 -  `--max-depth, -m {int}`: How many blocks/closures deep to step into (default 2)

## Parameters

 -  `closure`: The closure to profile.


## Input/output types:

| input | output |
| ----- | ------ |
| any   | table  |
## Examples

Profile config evaluation
```nu
> debug profile { source $nu.config-path }

```

Profile config evaluation with more granularity
```nu
> debug profile { source $nu.config-path } --max-depth 4

```

## Notes
The profiler profiles every evaluated instruction inside a closure, stepping into all
commands calls and other blocks/closures.

The output can be heavily customized. By default, the following columns are included:
- depth       : Depth of the instruction. Each entered block adds one level of depth. How many
                blocks deep to step into is controlled with the --max-depth option.
- id          : ID of the instruction
- parent_id   : ID of the instruction that created the parent scope
- source      : Source code that generated the instruction. If the source code has multiple lines,
                only the first line is used and `...` is appended to the end. Full source code can
                be shown with the --expand-source flag.
- pc          : The index of the instruction within the block.
- instruction : The pretty printed instruction being evaluated.
- duration    : How long it took to run the instruction.
- (optional) span        : Span associated with the instruction. Can be viewed via the `view span`
                           command. Enabled with the --spans flag.
- (optional) output      : The output value of the instruction. Enabled with the --values flag.