Commands

Overview

hush <command> [options]

Hush keeps secrets encrypted at rest. The primary way to use secrets is hush run -- <command>, which decrypts to memory and injects environment variables—secrets never touch the disk.

Command Categories

Category	Commands	Description
Primary (AI-Safe)	run, set, edit, inspect, has	Safe for AI assistants—never expose secret values
Setup	init, encrypt, status, skill	Configuration and encryption
Deployment	push, check	CI/CD and cloud deployment
Debugging	resolve, trace	Debug secret filtering and routing

Global Options

Option	Description
-e, --env <env>	Environment: development or production (default: development)
-r, --root <dir>	Start directory for project mode, execution directory for run
--global	Use the explicit global store at ~/.hush
-h, --help	Show help message
-v, --version	Show version number

---

run

Run a command with secrets injected as environment variables. This is the primary way to use secrets. Secrets are decrypted to memory only—they never touch the disk.

# Run with development secrets (default)
hush run -- npm start

# Run with production secrets
hush run -e production -- npm build
hush run -e prod -- npm build

# Run with secrets filtered for a specific target
hush run -t api -- wrangler dev
hush run --target web -- npm start

# Run with global secrets only
hush run --global -- npm start

Options

Option	Description
-e, --env <env>	Environment: development or production
-t, --target <name>	Filter secrets for a specific target from hush.yaml
-- <command>	The command to run (everything after --)

How It Works

1. Decrypts secrets to memory (never written to disk)
2. Merges shared → environment → local secrets
3. Resolves subdirectory templates (if present)
4. Filters root secrets based on target config (if matched)
5. Merges template vars + filtered root secrets (additive)
6. Spawns the child process with secrets as environment variables
7. Inherits stdin/stdout/stderr for full interactivity

When --global is used, Hush reads only from ~/.hush. It does not merge project secrets.

Examples

# Local development
hush run -- npm run dev

# Production build
hush run -e prod -- npm run build

# Wrangler with API secrets only
hush run -t api -- wrangler dev

# Docker with secrets
hush run -- docker compose up

# Any command that needs secrets
hush run -- node scripts/migrate.js

Tip

Use -t (target) to filter secrets. For example, your frontend might only need NEXT_PUBLIC_* variables, while your API needs database credentials.

---

set

Set a secret. Supports inline values, interactive prompts, or piped input.

# Inline value (recommended for AI agents)
hush set DATABASE_URL "postgres://user:pass@host/db"
hush set STRIPE_KEY "sk_live_xxx" -e production

# Interactive prompt (for users)
hush set DATABASE_URL
hush set API_KEY -e production

# Set in local overrides (.hush.local.encrypted)
hush set MY_OVERRIDE --local

# Set in the explicit global store
hush set --global OPENAI_API_KEY

# Bootstrap the global store without a separate init step
hush keys generate --global
hush set --global OPENAI_API_KEY

# Piped input (for scripts/automation)
echo "my-secret" | hush set MY_KEY
cat cert.pem | hush set CERTIFICATE

Options

Option	Description
-e, --env <env>	Target environment file (default: shared .hush.encrypted)
--local	Set in .hush.local.encrypted (personal overrides, not committed)
--gui	Use a native GUI dialog for input instead of terminal or piped input
--global	Set the secret in ~/.hush instead of the current project store

Input Methods (Priority Order)

1. Inline value: hush set KEY "value" - value provided directly
2. Piped input: echo "value" | hush set KEY - reads from stdin
3. GUI dialog: Opens when --gui flag is used
4. Interactive prompt: Terminal prompt with visible input

How It Works

1. Gets value from inline arg, pipe, GUI, or prompt
2. In global mode, auto-creates ~/.hush/hush.yaml and ~/.hush/.sops.yaml when the global key already exists
3. Decrypts the target file
4. Sets or updates the key
5. Re-encrypts the file
6. Confirms success with character count (no value shown)

For global mode, Hush now binds encryption to ~/.hush/.sops.yaml explicitly, so running hush set --global from inside another repo still uses the global recipient instead of a repo-local .sops.yaml.

Example Output

$ hush set DATABASE_URL "postgres://localhost/mydb"
✓ DATABASE_URL set in .hush.encrypted (25 chars)

$ hush set API_KEY
Enter value for API_KEY: sk_test_xxx
✓ API_KEY set in .hush.encrypted (14 chars)

Tip

AI agents can use inline values directly: hush set KEY "value". For user-provided secrets, use interactive mode: hush set KEY.

---

edit

Edit secrets in your $EDITOR. Opens the decrypted file, and re-encrypts on save.

# Edit shared secrets
hush edit

# Edit environment-specific secrets
hush edit development
hush edit production
hush edit dev
hush edit prod

# Edit local overrides
hush edit local

How It Works

1. Decrypts the target file to a temporary location
2. Opens in $EDITOR (vim, nano, code —wait, etc.)
3. Re-encrypts when you save and close
4. Deletes the temporary file

Caution

Make sure your $EDITOR environment variable is set. For VS Code, use code --wait so hush knows when you’re done editing.

---

init

Generate a hush.yaml configuration file with auto-detected targets.

hush init

# Initialize the explicit global store
hush init --global

This command scans your monorepo for packages with package.json files and creates an initial configuration.

When --global is used, Hush initializes ~/.hush with a single root target and a dedicated global key identity.

If you already ran hush keys generate --global or hush keys setup --global, hush set --global KEY ... can now bootstrap the missing global config files automatically.

Example Output

# hush.yaml (generated)
sources:
  shared: .hush
  development: .hush.development
  production: .hush.production

targets:
  - name: root
    path: .
    format: dotenv
  - name: app
    path: ./packages/app
    format: dotenv
  - name: api
    path: ./packages/api
    format: wrangler

---

encrypt

Encrypt source .hush files to .hush.encrypted files.

hush encrypt

What Gets Encrypted

Based on your hush.yaml sources configuration:

• .hush → .hush.encrypted
• .hush.development → .hush.development.encrypted
• .hush.production → .hush.production.encrypted

After encryption, the plaintext .hush files are automatically deleted.

Tip

Encrypted files are safe to commit to git. Add them to version control as your source of truth.

---

inspect

List all variables with masked values. Safe for AI agents.

hush inspect
hush inspect -e production

Example Output

Secrets for development:

  DATABASE_URL      = post****************... (45 chars)
  STRIPE_SECRET_KEY = sk_t****************... (32 chars)
  API_KEY           = (not set)

Total: 3 variables

Target distribution:

  root (.) - 3 vars
  app (./app/) - 1 vars
    include: EXPO_PUBLIC_*
  api (./api/) - 2 vars
    exclude: EXPO_PUBLIC_*

This lets AI agents reason about your configuration without seeing actual secrets.

---

has

Check if a specific secret exists. Returns exit code 0 if set, 1 if not.

# Check if a variable is set
hush has DATABASE_URL

# Quiet mode (no output, just exit code)
hush has API_KEY -q

# Use in scripts
hush has DATABASE_URL -q && echo "DB configured"

Options

Option	Description
-q, --quiet	Suppress output, only return exit code

Example Output

DATABASE_URL is set (45 chars)

Or if not set:

DATABASE_URL not found

---

push

Push production secrets to Cloudflare (Workers and Pages).

# Push all configured targets
hush push

# Push a specific target
hush push -t api
hush push -t app

# Preview without pushing
hush push --dry-run

# Detailed preview showing each variable
hush push --dry-run --verbose
hush push -t app --dry-run --verbose

Options

Option	Description
-t, --target <name>	Push only the specified target
--dry-run	Preview what would be pushed without making changes
--verbose	Show detailed output (with --dry-run)

Supported Destinations

Target Type	Configuration	Wrangler Command
Cloudflare Workers	format: wrangler	wrangler secret put
Cloudflare Pages	push_to: { type: cloudflare-pages, project: ... }	wrangler pages secret bulk

Configuration Examples

Cloudflare Workers (automatic with format: wrangler):

targets:
  - name: api
    path: ./api
    format: wrangler

Cloudflare Pages (requires push_to):

targets:
  - name: app
    path: ./app
    format: dotenv
    include:
      - NEXT_PUBLIC_*
    push_to:
      type: cloudflare-pages
      project: my-pages-project  # Your Pages project name

How It Works

1. Decrypts production secrets from encrypted files
2. Resolves subdirectory templates (if present)
3. Filters variables per target using include/exclude patterns
4. For Workers: Uploads each secret using wrangler secret put
5. For Pages: Uploads all secrets at once using wrangler pages secret bulk

Note

Requires the wrangler CLI to be installed and authenticated. For Pages, the project name must be specified in the push_to configuration.

Tip

Use hush push -t <target> --dry-run --verbose to preview exactly what secrets would be pushed to a specific target.

---

status

Show configuration and file status. This is the first command to run when troubleshooting.

hush status

# Inspect the explicit global store
hush status --global

Example Output

Hush Status

Store:
  project (/path/to/repo)

Config:
  hush.yaml
  Project: myorg/myrepo

Prerequisites:
  SOPS installed
  age key configured

Key Status:
  Local key: ~/.config/sops/age/keys/myorg-myrepo.txt
  1Password backup: synced

Source Files:
  .hush.encrypted
  .hush.development.encrypted
  .hush.production.encrypted
  .hush.local (optional, not found)

Targets:
  root ./ dotenv -> .env.development
  app ./packages/app dotenv -> .env.development
  api ./packages/api wrangler -> .dev.vars

Troubleshooting with Status

You See	Meaning	Fix
SOPS not installed	Missing prerequisite	brew install sops
age not installed	Missing prerequisite	brew install age
age key not found	No local key	npx hush keys setup
age key configured but commands fail	direnv not loaded	direnv allow
1Password backup: not found	Key not in 1Password	npx hush keys push

Tip

If hush status shows “age key configured” but hush inspect fails with “no identity matched”, your direnv isn’t loaded. Run direnv allow in the project directory.

---

check

Verify encrypted files are in sync with source files. Useful for pre-commit hooks.

# Basic check
hush check

# Warn but don't fail
hush check --warn

# JSON output for CI
hush check --json

# Only check git-modified files
hush check --only-changed

Options

Option	Description
--warn	Warn on drift but exit 0
--json	Output machine-readable JSON
--quiet	Suppress output
--only-changed	Only check files modified in git
--require-source	Fail if source file is missing

Exit Codes

Code	Meaning
0	All in sync
1	Drift detected (run hush encrypt)
2	Config error
3	Runtime error (sops missing, decrypt failed)

Pre-commit Hook

.husky/pre-commit

npx hush check || exit 1

Bypass with: HUSH_SKIP_CHECK=1 git commit -m "message"

---

resolve

Show what variables a specific target will receive, with filtering details. Essential for debugging why a variable is missing from a target.

# Check what variables api-workers receives
hush resolve api-workers

# Check with production environment
hush resolve api-workers -e production

Options

Option	Description
-e, --env <env>	Environment: development or production

Example Output

Target: api-workers
Path: ./api/
Format: wrangler (.dev.vars)
Environment: development

✅ ROOT SECRETS (Matched Filters) (11):
  SUPABASE_URL               (source: .env.development)
  STRIPE_SECRET_KEY          (source: .env)
  R2_ACCESS_KEY_ID           (source: .env)
  ...

🚫 EXCLUDED VARIABLES (8):
  EXPO_PUBLIC_API_URL        (matches: EXPO_PUBLIC_*)
  FASTLANE_APPLE_ID          (matches: FASTLANE_*)
  ASC_KEY_ID                 (matches: ASC_*)
  ...

📄 TEMPLATE EXPANSIONS (api/.hush):
  DATABASE_URL               ← ${DATABASE_URL}
  PORT                       ← ${PORT:-8787}

📦 FINAL INJECTION (13 total):
  DATABASE_URL               (template overrides root)
  PORT                       (template)
  SUPABASE_URL               (root)
  ...

Tip

When a variable is missing, check the 🚫 EXCLUDED section to see which pattern filtered it out. This immediately tells you whether to adjust your include/exclude patterns.

---

trace

Trace a specific variable through all sources and targets. Use this to understand why a variable appears in some places but not others.

# Trace a variable
hush trace DATABASE_URL

# Trace with production environment
hush trace STRIPE_SECRET_KEY -e production

Options

Option	Description
-e, --env <env>	Environment: development or production

Example Output

Tracing variable: SUPABASE_URL

Source Status:
  .env             : ❌ Not found
  .env.development : ✅ Present
  .env.production  : ✅ Present
  .env.local       : (file not found)

Target Disposition (Environment: development):
  [root]        : ✅ Included
  [app]         : 🚫 Not included (not in include: EXPO_PUBLIC_*)
  [api]         : ✅ Included
  [api-workers] : ✅ Included
  [landing]     : 🚫 Not included (not in include: EXPO_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_*)

Tip

This shows the complete picture: which source files have the variable, and which targets will receive it (or exclude it, and why).

---

skill

Install the Claude Code / OpenCode skill for AI-safe secrets management.

# Interactive: choose global or local
hush skill

# Install globally (all projects)
hush skill --global

# Install locally (this project only)
hush skill --local

Options

Option	Description
--global	Install to ~/.claude/skills/
--local	Install to ./.claude/skills/

Global vs Local

• Global - Works across all your projects. Recommended for personal use.
• Local - Bundled with the project. Recommended for teams (commit .claude/ to git).

Tip

Once installed, the skill teaches AI assistants to use hush inspect and hush has instead of reading .hush files directly.

---

decrypt —force (Last Resort)

Danger

This command writes plaintext secrets to disk. Use hush run instead whenever possible.

Write decrypted secrets to disk as plaintext files. Requires --force flag and interactive confirmation.

hush decrypt --force
hush decrypt --force -e production

Why This Exists

Some edge cases genuinely require plaintext files on disk:

• Docker builds that can’t use hush run
• Legacy tooling that reads .env files directly
• CI systems without TTY support for hush run

Safety Features

1. Requires --force flag - Won’t run without explicit opt-in
2. Interactive confirmation - Must type “yes” to proceed
3. Blocks non-TTY - Cannot be run by AI agents or in scripts

How It Works

1. Decrypts encrypted source files
2. Merges shared → environment → local overrides
3. Interpolates variable references (${VAR})
4. Filters variables per target using include/exclude patterns
5. Writes plaintext files to each target path

Tip

After using decrypt --force, delete the plaintext files when done:

rm .env.development .env.production .dev.vars

Or better yet, switch to hush run -- <command> for future use.

---

list (Caution)

Caution

This command shows actual secret values. Use hush inspect for AI-safe output.

List all variables with their actual values.

hush list
hush list -e production

Danger

This command shows actual secret values in the terminal. Use hush inspect instead when working with AI assistants.

---

Troubleshooting

”no identity matched any of the recipients”

This error means SOPS cannot find your decryption key.

Most common cause: direnv not loaded.

Hush uses per-project keys at ~/.config/sops/age/keys/{project}.txt. SOPS needs the SOPS_AGE_KEY_FILE environment variable to locate them.

# 1. Verify direnv is installed and hooked
brew install direnv
echo 'eval "$(direnv hook zsh)"' >> ~/.zshrc  # or bash
source ~/.zshrc

# 2. Allow direnv in the project
cd /path/to/project
direnv allow

# 3. Verify the env var is set
echo $SOPS_AGE_KEY_FILE
# Should output: /Users/you/.config/sops/age/keys/project-name.txt

# 4. Test
hush status
hush inspect

”age key not found”

The key file doesn’t exist at the expected location.

# Check where hush expects the key
hush status   # Look at "Local key:" line

# Option 1: Pull from 1Password
hush keys setup

# Option 2: Get from team member and save manually
# Save to the path shown in hush status

Key exists but wrong project

If you have a key but it’s for a different project:

# List all local keys
hush keys list

# Pull the correct key
hush keys setup

“SOPS is not installed”

brew install sops age   # macOS
# See Getting Started for Linux/Windows

direnv not loading automatically

Make sure you’ve added the direnv hook to your shell:

# For zsh (~/.zshrc)
eval "$(direnv hook zsh)"

# For bash (~/.bashrc)
eval "$(direnv hook bash)"

Then reload your shell or open a new terminal.