# New external command (i.e. defined in a config file) is not showing up in Director **URL:** \ **Category:** Icinga Director\ **Created:** [September 25, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/new-external-command-i-e-defined-in-a-config-file-is-not-showing-up-in-director/15583 "2026-09-25T00:48:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MajorDallas](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/majordallas/32/9151_2.png) [@MajorDallas](https://community.icinga.com/u/MajorDallas)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 12:48am UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/new-external-command-i-e-defined-in-a-config-file-is-not-showing-up-in-director/15583/1 "2026-09-25T00:48:01Z")
I created a custom plugin script and a `CheckCommand` to go with it. For some reason, it does not appear in Director’s list of external commands. An older custom plugin+check command I created a few years ago but no longer use _does_ show up, and I used it as a model. Both check command definitions live in their own files in the same directory on the master node (`zones.d/global-templates/commands/`), both files have the same ownership and permissions. The master accepts the new config file and is able to execute the new check command and its plugin for a service that I defined the “old fashioned” way. Nevertheless, Director refuses to acknowledge its existence. There are exactly two differences to the best of my knowledge: the older `CheckCommand` definition was present when I installed Director for the first time, but not the newer one; and the newer one contains both a `CheckCommand` template and the derived `CheckCommand` object I’m actually trying to use, while the older one only has the implied `import "plugin-check-command"` (inserted when rendered by Icingaweb2, not present in the source file). I tried explicitly adding the same import to the new template, but that had no effect–which isn’t a surprise. I’ve tried restarting the Director service and everything else, too (`systemctl restart icinga*`). It’s tempting to reinstall Director and see if it picks up the new command definition or not, since that seems to be the only real difference between the two command definitions that the master would have no awareness of or capability to affect. Did I miss a step somewhere, or is this as unexpected to others as it is to me? Versions of everything: - Director 1.11.8 - IcingaDB 1.1.4 - Icingaweb 2 2.12.7 - Icinga2 r2.16.5-1 - Ubuntu 22.04.5 LTS - php-fpm 8.1.2 - nginx 1.18.0 ---
**Author:** ![moreamazingnick](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/moreamazingnick/32/7725_2.png) [@moreamazingnick](https://community.icinga.com/u/moreamazingnick)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 6:06am UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/new-external-command-i-e-defined-in-a-config-file-is-not-showing-up-in-director/15583/2 "2026-09-25T06:06:09Z")
external commands are only updated when you run the director kickstart: > [https://your-icinga/icingaweb2/director/dashboard?name=infrastructure#!/icingaweb2/director/kickstart](https://your-icinga/icingaweb2/director/dashboard?name=infrastructure#!/icingaweb2/director/kickstart) Icinga Director → Icinga Infrastructure → **Kickstart Wizard** But you can always manage a command purely in icinga director as a (non-external) CheckCommand ProTip: If you add an argument, and then another argument you have to click on the tab arguments to clear the form for the new argument ---
**Author:** ![MajorDallas](https://community.icinga.com/user_avatar/community.icinga.com/majordallas/32/9151_2.png) [@MajorDallas](https://community.icinga.com/u/MajorDallas)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2026, 4:34pm UTC](https://community.icinga.com/t/new-external-command-i-e-defined-in-a-config-file-is-not-showing-up-in-director/15583/3 "2026-09-25T16:34:19Z")
Ahhh, it was so simple! I spent _hours_ on this yesterday and it was four clicks. I feel much better, now, thank you for pointing me straight!