diff --git a/swh/deposit/cli/client.py b/swh/deposit/cli/client.py
--- a/swh/deposit/cli/client.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/cli/client.py
@@ -251,6 +251,20 @@
             "Please provide an actionable command. See --help for more information"
         )
 
+    if metadata:
+        from swh.deposit.utils import parse_xml
+
+        metadata_raw = open(metadata, "r").read()
+        metadata_dict = parse_xml(metadata_raw).get("swh:deposit", {})
+        if (
+            "swh:create_origin" not in metadata_dict
+            and "swh:add_to_origin" not in metadata_dict
+        ):
+            logger.warning(
+                "The metadata file provided should contain "
+                '"<swh:create_origin>" or "<swh:add_to_origin>" tag',
+            )
+
     if replace and not deposit_id:
         raise InputError("To update an existing deposit, you must provide its id")
 
diff --git a/swh/deposit/tests/cli/test_client.py b/swh/deposit/tests/cli/test_client.py
--- a/swh/deposit/tests/cli/test_client.py
+++ b/swh/deposit/tests/cli/test_client.py
@@ -805,3 +805,72 @@
             catch_exceptions=False,
         )
         # fmt: on
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "metadata_entry_key", ["entry-data-with-add-to-origin", "entry-only-create-origin"]
+)
+def test_cli_deposit_warning_missing_origin(
+    sample_archive,
+    metadata_entry_key,
+    tmp_path,
+    atom_dataset,
+    caplog,
+    cli_runner,
+    requests_mock_datadir,
+):
+    """Deposit cli should log warning when the provided metadata xml is missing origins
+
+    """
+    # fmt: off
+    cli_runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        [
+            "upload",
+            "--url", "https://deposit.swh.test/1",
+            "--username", TEST_USER["username"],
+            "--password", TEST_USER["password"],
+            "--name", "test-project",
+            "--archive", sample_archive["path"],
+            "--author", "Jane Doe",
+        ],
+    )
+    # fmt: on
+
+    # we only care for the presence of the warning due to the missing presence of
+    # create_origin or add_to_origin, so we do not check anything else
+    warning_log_record = (
+        "swh.deposit.cli.client",
+        logging.WARNING,
+        "The metadata file provided should contain "
+        '"<swh:create_origin>" or "<swh:add_to_origin>" tag',
+    )
+    assert warning_log_record in caplog.record_tuples
+
+    # Clear mocking state
+    caplog.clear()
+
+    # For the next deposit, no warning should be logged as either <swh:create_origin> or
+    # <swh:origin_to_add> are provided
+
+    metadata_raw = atom_dataset[metadata_entry_key] % "some-url"
+    metadata_path = os.path.join(tmp_path, "metadata-with-origin-tag-to-deposit.xml")
+    with open(metadata_path, "w") as f:
+        f.write(metadata_raw)
+
+    # fmt: off
+    cli_runner.invoke(
+        cli,
+        [
+            "upload",
+            "--url", "https://deposit.swh.test/1",
+            "--username", TEST_USER["username"],
+            "--password", TEST_USER["password"],
+            "--metadata", metadata_path,
+        ],
+    )
+    # fmt: on
+
+    for (_, log_level, _) in caplog.record_tuples:
+        # all messages are info or below messages so everything is fine
+        assert log_level < logging.WARNING