> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://fentaris.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environment Variables

> Configure optional local credentials and runtime health checks with Fentaris environment variables.

Generated projects do not require environment variables by default. Use these variables when you add local encrypted credentials, API-key auth, or runtime health checks that need a key.

## Quick Start

```bash theme={null} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
FENTARIS_API_KEY=... fentaris doctor --runtime
```

## Variables

### `FENTARIS_AUTH_KEY`

Encryption key used to decrypt local credentials in `.fentaris/credentials.enc.json`.

```bash theme={null} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
export FENTARIS_AUTH_KEY="<local-encryption-key>"
```

`fentaris doctor` checks whether this variable is present before verifying encrypted credentials when a local credential store exists.

Choose and retain this value through your normal local secret-management process. The same value is required for future reads and updates. Do not commit it, store it in generated project files, or expose it in command output. Agent-driven setup should leave this value for the user to provision and list the commands that require it.

### `FENTARIS_GUEST_API_KEY`

API key used by runtime health checks for projects that still use a guest user convention.

```bash theme={null} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
FENTARIS_GUEST_API_KEY=guest-...
```

Use this key in the `x-fentaris-api-key` header when connecting a client to a proxy that enables API-key identity.

### `FENTARIS_ADMIN_API_KEY`

API key used by runtime health checks for projects that still use an admin user convention.

```bash theme={null} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
FENTARIS_ADMIN_API_KEY=admin-...
```

Use this key in the `x-fentaris-api-key` header when connecting a client to a proxy that enables API-key identity.

### `FENTARIS_API_KEY`

Fallback API key used by runtime health checks when a guest or admin key is not present.

```bash theme={null} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
FENTARIS_API_KEY=...
```

### Upstream Credential Variables

Servers can also read arbitrary environment variables through credential sources.

```ts theme={null} theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
credentialEnv("GITHUB_TOKEN")
```

The exact variable name depends on the project code and upstream server.

<Warning>
  Do not commit `.env` or `.fentaris/credentials.enc.json`. Generated projects ignore both by default.
</Warning>

## Related Documentation

* [Quickstart](/getting-started/quickstart)
* [Config file](/reference/config-file)
* [CLI Usage](/reference/cli)