1password CLI

name: 1password-cli description: Use this skill when working with the 1Password CLI (op command) for secrets management, retrieving API keys, injecting secrets into development environments, or any task involving 1Password vault operations. Triggers on: "1password", "op command", "secrets management", "api keys from vault", "op run", "op read", "service account token".

1Password CLI Skill

Use this skill when working with the 1Password CLI (op command) for secrets management, retrieving API keys, or injecting secrets into development environments.

Installation

# macOS
brew install 1password-cli

# Verify installation
op --version

Authentication Methods

1. Desktop App Integration (Interactive - Recommended for Development)

Enable biometric authentication (Touch ID/Windows Hello) through the 1Password desktop app:

1. Open 1Password app > Settings > Developer
2. Enable "Integrate with 1Password CLI"
3. Run any op command - you'll be prompted to authenticate

# This will prompt for biometric auth
op vault list

2. Service Account Token (Non-Interactive - CI/CD & Automation)

For automated environments without user interaction:

# Set the service account token as environment variable
export OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN="ops_..."

# Now commands work without prompts
op vault list

Create service accounts in 1Password.com > Developer Tools > Service Accounts.

3. Manual Sign In (Legacy)

# Sign in and create a session
eval $(op signin)

# Or for a specific account
eval $(op signin --account my-team.1password.com)

Secret Reference Syntax

Secret references use the URI format: op://vault/item/[section/]field

op://vault-name/item-name/field-name           # Simple field
op://vault-name/item-name/section/field-name   # Field in a section
op://Private/GitHub/password                    # Example: GitHub password
op://dev/Stripe/publishable-key                # Example: Stripe key

Get Secret References

# Get reference for a specific field
op item get "GitHub" --vault Private --fields password --format json | jq -r '.reference'

# Output: op://Private/GitHub/password

Reading Secrets

Read a Single Secret

# Using secret reference
op read "op://vault-name/item-name/field-name"

# Examples
op read "op://Private/API Keys/openai-key"
op read "op://dev/Database/password"

Get Item Details

# Get full item as JSON
op item get "item-name" --vault "vault-name" --format json

# Get specific field
op item get "GitHub" --fields password

# Get multiple fields
op item get "Database" --fields username,password

List Items

# List all vaults
op vault list

# List items in a vault
op item list --vault "Private"

# Search for items
op item list --tags api-key

Injecting Secrets into Environment Variables

Using op run

The most secure way to use secrets - they exist only during command execution:

# Set secret reference in environment
export DB_PASSWORD="op://app-prod/database/password"

# Run command with secrets injected
op run -- ./my-script.sh

# Secrets are automatically masked in output
op run -- printenv DB_PASSWORD  # Shows: <concealed by 1Password>

# Disable masking if needed
op run --no-masking -- printenv DB_PASSWORD

Using .env Files

Create a .env file with secret references:

# .env file
DATABASE_URL="op://dev/postgres/connection-string"
API_KEY="op://dev/my-api/key"
SECRET_TOKEN="op://dev/app/secret-token"

Run with the env file:

op run --env-file=.env -- npm start
op run --env-file=.env -- python app.py

Environment-Specific Secrets

Use variables to switch between environments:

# .env file with variable
DB_PASSWORD="op://$APP_ENV/database/password"

# Switch environments
APP_ENV=dev op run --env-file=.env -- ./start.sh
APP_ENV=prod op run --env-file=.env -- ./start.sh

Common Use Cases

Retrieve API Keys for Development

# Get a single API key
OPENAI_KEY=$(op read "op://Private/OpenAI/api-key")

# Use in a command
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $(op read 'op://Private/OpenAI/api-key')" ...

Populate Environment for Local Development

# Create .env.local with secret references
cat > .env.local << 'EOF'
SUPABASE_URL="op://dev/Supabase/url"
SUPABASE_KEY="op://dev/Supabase/service-role-key"
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="op://dev/Anthropic/api-key"
EOF

# Start development server with secrets
op run --env-file=.env.local -- npm run dev

Export Secrets to Shell Session

# Export secrets for current shell session
export GITHUB_TOKEN=$(op read "op://Private/GitHub/token")
export NPM_TOKEN=$(op read "op://Private/npm/token")

Use in Scripts

#!/bin/bash
# deploy.sh - uses 1Password for secrets

# Ensure we have access
op whoami > /dev/null 2>&1 || eval $(op signin)

# Get deployment credentials
DEPLOY_KEY=$(op read "op://prod/deploy/ssh-key")
API_TOKEN=$(op read "op://prod/api/token")

# Use in deployment...

Creating and Managing Items

Create a New Item

# Create API key item
op item create \
  --category "API Credential" \
  --title "My API Key" \
  --vault "dev" \
  --fields "api-key=sk-abc123"

# Create login item
op item create \
  --category Login \
  --title "Service Account" \
  --vault Private \
  --fields "username=admin,password=secret123"

Update an Item

# Update a field
op item edit "My API Key" --vault dev "api-key=sk-newkey456"

Delete an Item

op item delete "Old API Key" --vault dev

Security Best Practices

1. Use Service Accounts for CI/CD: Never use personal credentials in automated environments

2. Limit Vault Access: Service accounts should only access vaults they need

3. Use op run Over Export: Secrets only exist during command execution, not in shell history

4. Avoid Logging Secrets: op run masks secrets by default - keep it enabled

5. Rotate Service Account Tokens: Regularly rotate tokens used in CI/CD pipelines

6. Use Secret References in Code: Store references, not secrets, in configuration files

7. Audit Access: Review service account usage reports in 1Password.com

Troubleshooting

"You are not currently signed in"

# Check current session
op whoami

# Sign in again
eval $(op signin)

# Or set service account token
export OP_SERVICE_ACCOUNT_TOKEN="ops_..."

"Item not found"

# List available vaults to verify access
op vault list

# Search for the item
op item list --vault "vault-name" | grep "item-name"

Desktop App Integration Not Working

1. Ensure 1Password app is running and unlocked
2. Check Settings > Developer > "Integrate with 1Password CLI" is enabled
3. Restart terminal after enabling integration

Quick Reference