Automic VaultAutomic Vault

brew

Install cargo-insta with Homebrew, apk, dnf, Nix, pacman

Snapshot testing CLI for Rust. Version 1.48.0 via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-11.

Install commandSecurity notes

install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install cargo-insta

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Alpine Linux apkverified · 92%
sudo apk add cargo-insta

Alpine Linux edge package indexes · cargo-insta · source: dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org

Fedora dnfverified · 92%
sudo dnf install cargo-insta

Fedora Rawhide package metadata · cargo-insta · source: dl.fedoraproject.org

Nixverified · 92%
nix profile install nixpkgs#cargo-insta

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/ca/cargo-insta/package.nix · source: api.github.com

Arch Linux pacmanverified · 92%
sudo pacman -S cargo-insta

Arch Linux sync databases · cargo-insta · source: geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com

overview

Package summary

Snapshot testing CLI for Rust

Commands and aliases

  • cargo-insta

history

Project history and usage

Cargo Insta is the command-line companion to Insta, Armin Ronacher's snapshot testing library for Rust. It helps developers review, accept, reject, and update snapshot changes from Cargo workflows.

The CLI is not required for every snapshot test, but the official docs say it is required for inline snapshots and useful for snapshot review.

Project history

The Insta repository was created in January 2019, and the cargo-insta crate was first published that same month. The project combines a Rust testing library, a Cargo subcommand, website documentation, and editor support.

The README positions snapshot tests as approval-style tests that compare complex or frequently changing values against stored reference snapshots. It also notes that inline snapshots are handled through the companion cargo-insta tool.

The changelog documents both insta and cargo-insta together, showing the CLI evolving with snapshot review, nextest integration, non-interactive review modes, diff tooling, pending snapshot handling, and CI behavior.

Adoption history

Insta became a familiar Rust testing tool for projects that need readable diffs for large structured outputs, CLI output, serializers, generated code, and UI-like text fixtures.

cargo-insta's adoption follows from the review workflow: once snapshots are part of tests, maintainers need a convenient way to inspect pending changes, accept intended updates, reject regressions, and run checks in CI.

How it is used

The official CLI docs describe `cargo insta review`, `accept`, `reject`, `pending-snapshots`, and `test`. The common loop is to run tests, inspect generated pending snapshots, and then accept or reject changes.

Configuration is workspace-local through `insta.yaml`; the docs say cargo-insta loads this config from the workspace to influence behavior, with settings documented on the official site.

Why package nerds care

cargo-insta is package-nerd significant because it packages a whole testing workflow, not just an assertion macro. The CLI, file formats, review commands, settings, and editor extension together make snapshot testing feel native to Rust package maintenance.

It also reflects a broader trend in developer tooling: tests increasingly produce reviewable artifacts, and package-manager subcommands become the interface for accepting those artifacts into the repository.

Timeline

  • 2019-01-13: Insta GitHub repository created.
  • 2019-01-18: cargo-insta 0.2.0 first published to crates.io.
  • 2020s: Project adds inline snapshots, review tooling, settings, VS Code support, and nextest-aware workflows.
  • 2026: cargo-insta 1.48.0 changelog includes CI behavior, snapshot filtering, and review workflow fixes; crate exceeds 1.4 million downloads.

Related projects

  • insta is the Rust snapshot testing library that cargo-insta supports.
  • similar and similar-asserts are related diffing projects by the same author, mentioned in the Insta README.
  • cargo-nextest is integrated into cargo-insta test workflows according to the changelog and CLI options.

security posture

No protected-tool coverage found yet

No matching local secret-handling manifest was found for cargo-insta. Nucleus package metadata is still published here so future coverage has a stable package URL.

Install behavior

  • No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
  • Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 6 platform targets.
  • Build metadata lists 1 build dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

local files

Configuration and credential file locations

These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval.

Configuration files

Config paths the tool may read or write during local use.

Unix
$CARGO_WORKSPACE/.config/insta.yaml$CARGO_WORKSPACE/insta.yaml$CARGO_WORKSPACE/.insta.yaml

executables

Installed executables

CommandKindExposureNote
cargo-instacliglobal executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08
manager version1.48.0
manager updated2026-06-11
local dataok
upstreamcurrent
latest detected1.48.0

https://github.com/mitsuhiko/insta

  • okNo freshness warnings were generated.

install metadata

Package metadata

Package keybrew:cargo-insta
Version1.48.0
Package managerHomebrew
Package manager pagehttps://formulae.brew.sh/formula/cargo-insta
Homepagehttps://insta.rs
Repositoryhttps://github.com/mitsuhiko/insta
Upstream docshttps://insta.rs/docs
LicenseApache-2.0
Source archivehttps://github.com/mitsuhiko/insta/archive/refs/tags/1.48.0.tar.gz
Last updated2026-06-11T15:29:22Z
Pulseupdated
Build dependenciesrust
Bottleavailable (on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-installnot defined
Servicenone declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source DatabaseHomebrew formula API
Taphomebrew/core
Full Namecargo-insta
Version Scheme0
Revision0
Bottle Stable Root URLhttps://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecatedno
Disabledno
Keg Onlyno
URL Keys
  • stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Nix95%

cargo-insta

nix profile install nixpkgs#cargo-insta
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Cargo Insta
nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ca/cargo-insta/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1
apk95%

cargo-insta 1.44.3-r0

review tool for insta, a snapshot testing library for Rust

https://github.com/mitsuhiko/insta

sudo apk add cargo-insta
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: cargo-insta
  • 1 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Cargo Insta
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: cargo-insta from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
apk95%

cargo-insta-doc 1.44.3-r0

review tool for insta, a snapshot testing library for Rust (documentation)

https://github.com/mitsuhiko/insta

sudo apk add cargo-insta-doc
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: cargo-insta
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Cargo Insta
Alpine Linux edge package indexes · dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org · Alpine Linux edge package indexes: cargo-insta-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/community/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz
dnf95%

cargo-insta 1.46.3-1.fc45

Review tool for the insta snapshot testing library for Rust

https://crates.io/crates/cargo-insta

sudo dnf install cargo-insta
  • License: Apache-2.0 AND MIT AND Unicode-3.0 AND Unicode-DFS-2016 AND (Apache-2.0 OR MIT) AND (Apache-2.0 WITH LLVM-exception OR Apache-2.0 OR MIT) AND (Unlicense OR MIT)
  • Category: Unspecified
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • Source Package: rust-cargo-insta
  • 5 dependencies
  • 1 provides
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Cargo Insta
Fedora Rawhide package metadata · dl.fedoraproject.org · Fedora Rawhide package metadata: cargo-insta from https://dl.fedoraproject.org/pub/fedora/linux/development/rawhide/Everything/x86_64/os/repodata/e5ca8ce900cd68f5419e1c39ae517343100b306336cbaeb70a3c153121d95094-primary.xml.zst
pacman95%

cargo-insta 1.47.2-1

Cargo plugin for snapshot testing in Rust

https://github.com/mitsuhiko/insta

sudo pacman -S cargo-insta
  • License: Apache-2.0
  • Architecture: x86_64
  • 3 dependencies
  • normalized package name match
  • Matched by: Cargo Insta
Arch Linux sync databases · geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com · Arch Linux sync databases: cargo-insta from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

Related tools

  • rustBuild dependency declared by Homebrew.

Same workflow

  • cargo-nextestShares av.db curated category or tags: cargo, cli, developer-tools, rust, testing.
  • cargo-fuzzShares av.db curated category or tags: cargo, cli, developer-tools, rust, testing.
  • cargo-hackShares av.db curated category or tags: cargo, cli, developer-tools, rust, testing.
  • cargo-llvm-covShares av.db curated category or tags: cargo, cli, developer-tools, rust, testing.
  • cargo-auditableShares av.db curated category or tags: cargo, cli, developer-tools, rust.
  • cargo-binstallShares av.db curated category or tags: cargo, cli, developer-tools, rust.
  • cargo-instaSame normalized package name exists in another local package ecosystem.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Used sources

  • Geiger risk classifier
  • Nucleus package database
  • av.db category and tag curation
  • cross-ecosystem install command graph
  • curated configuration and credential file locations
  • curated package history
  • external package-manager database matches
  • package relationship graph
  • package version freshness
  • package-page enrichment