1password CLI

1Password CLI

Complete the requested local op operation while exposing as little secret material as possible. Preserve the requested facts, caveats, and next action; omit command-by-command narration that does not help the user verify the result.

The installed CLI is the command-surface authority:

command -v op
op --version
op <command> --help

If documentation and local help disagree, follow local help and report the mismatch only when it changes the task.

Quick Start

1. Classify the request as metadata lookup, secret consumption, a mutating operation, or setup/troubleshooting.
2. Plan the required op calls before accessing real vault data. Use one batched call when possible; otherwise keep every call in one persistent PTY shell so one macOS app authorization window covers the task.
3. Check authentication with op whoami. When multiple accounts exist, use --account <account> or set OP_ACCOUNT for that command.
4. Choose the least-revealing route:
   • Metadata: op vault list, op item list, op item get.
   • Discover a reference: op item get <item> --format json --fields label=<field> | jq -r .reference.
   • Read one field: op read 'op://vault/item/field'.
   • Give a subprocess environment variables: op run --env-file=.env -- <command>.
   • Resolve a config template: op inject -i config.tpl -o config.local.
5. Before item/vault/document/service-account/plugin writes, verify that the user requested the mutation and that the account, vault, item, and destination are unambiguous. Read references/security-patterns.md and use --dry-run where the command supports it. Reuse the account and destination already established in this session; ask only about unresolved identity or exposure, not whether to perform the same authorized operation again.
6. Verify the requested outcome without printing secret values. Report the account or vault scope, what changed or was found, any sensitive file created, and the smallest unblock step if authentication failed.

If a write returns an uncertain result, inspect metadata in the same session before retrying. Do not repeat a create operation merely to obtain clearer output or verify success by revealing the stored secret.

macOS Authentication

Desktop app integration is the default local path: the user unlocks the 1Password app, enables CLI integration and Touch ID/system authentication, and approves the prompt. Separate agent shell invocations can count as separate terminal sessions and cause repeated prompts.

Use one of these execution shapes before the first real data call:

• One-shot batch: fetch JSON once, then filter or group locally with jq.
• Persistent PTY: authenticate once, then run every follow-up op command in that same shell.

If a second unexpected prompt appears, stop opening fresh shells and switch to one of those shapes. Do not use tmux to work around macOS app integration.

Manual sign-in is a fallback when app integration is unavailable:

op account add --address my.1password.com --email user@example.com
eval "$(op signin --account my)"
op whoami

Manual session tokens expire and may not survive separate tool calls. Do not collect or persist them. Use service accounts only for scoped automation, not as a substitute for ordinary personal desktop access.

Operation Routing

Use references/cli-usage.md for exact syntax beyond the common paths below.

Read or Consume a Secret

Prefer references over plaintext and quote references containing spaces:

op://vault/item/field
op://vault/item/section/field
op://vault/item/one-time password?attribute=otp

op read --no-newline 'op://app-prod/api/token'
op run --env-file=.env -- npm test
op inject -i config.yml.tpl -o config.yml

If a command can consume the value directly, do that instead of returning it to chat. op run masks matching output by default; do not disable masking unless visible plaintext is explicitly required.

Create or Edit

Sensitive assignment values can leak through shell history or process inspection. Prefer JSON templates or stdin, generate passwords with the CLI, and dry-run uncertain item shapes. Do not template-edit an item containing passkeys unless the user accepts that local CLI templates can overwrite them.

Service-account creation is a special case: the CLI returns the token once on stdout. Never run a bare op service-account create through an agent tool whose stdout is captured. Read the stdout-safe capture-and-store recipe in references/cli-usage.md, or have the user create and save the token in their own terminal.

For injected configs or exported keys, use restrictive permissions, keep the file out of git, and delete it after use when practical:

op read --out-file ./key.pem --file-mode 0600 \
  'op://ExampleVault/server ssh/private key?ssh-format=openssh'

Prefer the 1Password SSH Agent for normal Git/SSH use so private keys are not exported at all.

Output and Safety Contract

• Never echo secret values, bearer tokens, session tokens, raw private keys, or injected config contents into chat, logs, durable notes, shell profiles, or repository files.
• --reveal, --no-masking, secret display, key export, and durable token storage require an explicit need. State the exposure and destination before proceeding.
• Prefer --format json for metadata parsing, but remember revealed JSON can still contain secrets.
• If only setup status is needed, report fields as present/missing; do not show their values.
• Do not run op update unless the user asked to update the CLI.

Reference Files

Gotchas

• Commands or flags documented for a beta may be absent from the installed stable CLI. Verify op <command> --help; do not guess.
• Item names are not unique. Use --vault or an item ID when lookup is ambiguous or automation needs stable identity.
• op item get is for item details; use op read for one secret field.
• Shell expansion needed after op run belongs inside a subprocess, for example op run -- sh -c 'command "$VAR"'.
• Same-user processes may be able to inspect environment variables. op run avoids durable plaintext but is not a complete boundary against local process inspection.
• If authentication cannot connect, ask the user to unlock the app and confirm CLI integration, then retry directly in the same PTY session.