Setup Credentials

Interactive credential setup for agents with multiple authentication options. Detects what's missing, offers auth method choices, validates with health checks, and stores credentials securely.

When to Use

Before running or testing an agent for the first time
When AgentRunner.run() fails with "missing required credentials"
When a user asks to configure credentials for an agent
After building a new agent that uses tools requiring API keys

Workflow

Step 1: Identify the Agent

Determine which agent needs credentials. The user will either:

Name the agent directly (e.g., "set up credentials for hubspot-agent")
Have an agent directory open (check exports/ for agent dirs)
Be working on an agent in the current session

Locate the agent's directory under exports/{agent_name}/.

Step 2: Detect Required Credentials

Read the agent's configuration to determine which tools and node types it uses:

from core.framework.runner import AgentRunner

runner = AgentRunner.load("exports/{agent_name}")
validation = runner.validate()

# validation.missing_credentials contains env var names
# validation.warnings contains detailed messages with help URLs

Alternatively, check the credential store directly:

from core.framework.credentials import CredentialStore

# Use encrypted storage (default: ~/.hive/credentials)
store = CredentialStore.with_encrypted_storage()

# Check what's available
available = store.list_credentials()
print(f"Available credentials: {available}")

# Check if specific credential exists
if store.is_available("hubspot"):
    print("HubSpot credential found")
else:
    print("HubSpot credential missing")

To see all known credential specs (for help URLs and setup instructions):

from aden_tools.credentials import CREDENTIAL_SPECS

for name, spec in CREDENTIAL_SPECS.items():
    print(f"{name}: env_var={spec.env_var}, aden={spec.aden_supported}")

Step 3: Present Auth Options for Each Missing Credential

For each missing credential, check what authentication methods are available:

from aden_tools.credentials import CREDENTIAL_SPECS

spec = CREDENTIAL_SPECS.get("hubspot")
if spec:
    # Determine available auth options
    auth_options = []
    if spec.aden_supported:
        auth_options.append("aden")
    if spec.direct_api_key_supported:
        auth_options.append("direct")
    auth_options.append("custom")  # Always available

    # Get setup info
    setup_info = {
        "env_var": spec.env_var,
        "description": spec.description,
        "help_url": spec.help_url,
        "api_key_instructions": spec.api_key_instructions,
    }

Present the available options using AskUserQuestion:

Choose how to configure HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN:

  1) Aden Authorization Server (Recommended)
     Secure OAuth2 flow via integration.adenhq.com
     - Quick setup with automatic token refresh
     - No need to manage API keys manually

  2) Direct API Key
     Enter your own API key manually
     - Requires creating a HubSpot Private App
     - Full control over scopes and permissions

  3) Custom Credential Store (Advanced)
     Programmatic configuration for CI/CD
     - For automated deployments
     - Requires manual API calls

Step 4: Execute Auth Flow Based on User Choice

Option 1: Aden Authorization Server

This is the recommended flow for supported integrations (HubSpot, etc.).

How Aden OAuth Works:

The ADEN_API_KEY represents a user who has already completed OAuth authorization on Aden's platform. When users sign up and connect integrations on Aden, those OAuth tokens are stored server-side. Having an ADEN_API_KEY means:

User has an Aden account
User has already authorized integrations (HubSpot, etc.) via OAuth on Aden
We just need to sync those credentials down to the local credential store

4.1a. Check for ADEN_API_KEY

import os
aden_key = os.environ.get("ADEN_API_KEY")

If not set, guide user to get one from Aden (this is where they do OAuth):

from aden_tools.credentials import open_browser, get_aden_setup_url

# Open browser to Aden - user will sign up and connect integrations there
url = get_aden_setup_url()  # https://integration.adenhq.com/setup
success, msg = open_browser(url)

print("Please sign in to Aden and connect your integrations (HubSpot, etc.).")
print("Once done, copy your API key and return here.")

Ask user to provide the ADEN_API_KEY they received.

4.1b. Save ADEN_API_KEY to Shell Config

With user approval, persist ADEN_API_KEY to their shell config:

from aden_tools.credentials import (
    detect_shell,
    add_env_var_to_shell_config,
    get_shell_source_command,
)

shell_type = detect_shell()  # 'bash', 'zsh', or 'unknown'

# Ask user for approval before modifying shell config
# If approved:
success, config_path = add_env_var_to_shell_config(
    "ADEN_API_KEY",
    user_provided_key,
    comment="Aden authorization server API key"
)

if success:
    source_cmd = get_shell_source_command()
    print(f"Saved to {config_path}")
    print(f"Run: {source_cmd}")

Also save to ~/.hive/configuration.json for the framework:

import json
from pathlib import Path

config_path = Path.home() / ".hive" / "configuration.json"
config = json.loads(config_path.read_text()) if config_path.exists() else {}

config["aden"] = {
    "api_key_configured": True,
    "api_url": "https://api.adenhq.com"
}

config_path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
config_path.write_text(json.dumps(config, indent=2))

4.1c. Sync Credentials from Aden Server

Since the user has already authorized integrations on Aden, use the one-liner factory method:

from core.framework.credentials import CredentialStore

# This single call handles everything:
# - Creates encrypted local storage at ~/.hive/credentials
# - Configures Aden client from ADEN_API_KEY env var
# - Syncs all credentials from Aden server automatically
store = CredentialStore.with_aden_sync(
    base_url="https://api.adenhq.com",
    auto_sync=True,  # Syncs on creation
)

# Check what was synced
synced = store.list_credentials()
print(f"Synced credentials: {synced}")

# If the required credential wasn't synced, the user hasn't authorized it on Aden yet
if "hubspot" not in synced:
    print("HubSpot not found in your Aden account.")
    print("Please visit https://integration.adenhq.com to connect HubSpot, then try again.")

For more control over the sync process:

from core.framework.credentials import CredentialStore
from core.framework.credentials.aden import (
    AdenCredentialClient,
    AdenClientConfig,
    AdenSyncProvider,
)

# Create client (API key loaded from ADEN_API_KEY env var)
client = AdenCredentialClient(AdenClientConfig(
    base_url="https://api.adenhq.com",
))

# Create provider and store
provider = AdenSyncProvider(client=client)
store = CredentialStore.with_encrypted_storage()

# Manual sync
synced_count = provider.sync_all(store)
print(f"Synced {synced_count} credentials from Aden")

4.1d. Run Health Check

from aden_tools.credentials import check_credential_health

# Get the token from the store
cred = store.get_credential("hubspot")
token = cred.keys["access_token"].value.get_secret_value()

result = check_credential_health("hubspot", token)
if result.valid:
    print("HubSpot credentials validated successfully!")
else:
    print(f"Validation failed: {result.message}")
    # Offer to retry the OAuth flow

Option 2: Direct API Key

For users who prefer manual API key management.

4.2a. Show Setup Instructions

from aden_tools.credentials import CREDENTIAL_SPECS

spec = CREDENTIAL_SPECS.get("hubspot")
if spec and spec.api_key_instructions:
    print(spec.api_key_instructions)
# Output:
# To get a HubSpot Private App token:
# 1. Go to HubSpot Settings > Integrations > Private Apps
# 2. Click "Create a private app"
# 3. Name your app (e.g., "Hive Agent")
# ...

if spec and spec.help_url:
    print(f"More info: {spec.help_url}")

4.2b. Collect API Key from User

Use AskUserQuestion to securely collect the API key:

Please provide your HubSpot access token:
(This will be stored securely in ~/.hive/credentials)

4.2c. Run Health Check Before Storing

from aden_tools.credentials import check_credential_health

result = check_credential_health("hubspot", user_provided_token)
if not result.valid:
    print(f"Warning: {result.message}")
    # Ask user if they want to:
    # 1. Try a different token
    # 2. Continue anyway (not recommended)

4.2d. Store in Encrypted Credential Store

from core.framework.credentials import CredentialStore, CredentialObject, CredentialKey
from pydantic import SecretStr

store = CredentialStore.with_encrypted_storage()

cred = CredentialObject(
    id="hubspot",
    name="HubSpot Access Token",
    keys={
        "access_token": CredentialKey(
            name="access_token",
            value=SecretStr(user_provided_token),
        )
    },
)
store.save_credential(cred)

4.2e. Export to Current Session

export HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN="the-value"

Option 3: Custom Credential Store (Advanced)

For programmatic/CI/CD setups.

4.3a. Show Documentation

For advanced credential management, you can use the CredentialStore API directly:

  from core.framework.credentials import CredentialStore, CredentialObject, CredentialKey
  from pydantic import SecretStr

  store = CredentialStore.with_encrypted_storage()

  cred = CredentialObject(
      id="hubspot",
      name="HubSpot Access Token",
      keys={"access_token": CredentialKey(name="access_token", value=SecretStr("..."))}
  )
  store.save_credential(cred)

For CI/CD environments:
  - Set HIVE_CREDENTIAL_KEY for encryption
  - Pre-populate ~/.hive/credentials programmatically
  - Or use environment variables directly (HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN)

Documentation: See core/framework/credentials/README.md

Step 5: Record Configuration Method

Track which auth method was used for each credential in ~/.hive/configuration.json:

import json
from pathlib import Path
from datetime import datetime

config_path = Path.home() / ".hive" / "configuration.json"
config = json.loads(config_path.read_text()) if config_path.exists() else {}

if "credential_methods" not in config:
    config["credential_methods"] = {}

config["credential_methods"]["hubspot"] = {
    "method": "aden",  # or "direct" or "custom"
    "configured_at": datetime.now().isoformat(),
}

config_path.write_text(json.dumps(config, indent=2))

Step 6: Verify All Credentials

Run validation again to confirm everything is set:

runner = AgentRunner.load("exports/{agent_name}")
validation = runner.validate()
assert not validation.missing_credentials, "Still missing credentials!"

Report the result to the user.

Health Check Reference

Health checks validate credentials by making lightweight API calls:

Credential	Endpoint	What It Checks
`hubspot`	`GET /crm/v3/objects/contacts?limit=1`	Bearer token validity, CRM scopes
`brave_search`	`GET /res/v1/web/search?q=test&count=1`	API key validity

from aden_tools.credentials import check_credential_health, HealthCheckResult

result: HealthCheckResult = check_credential_health("hubspot", token_value)
# result.valid: bool
# result.message: str
# result.details: dict (status_code, rate_limited, etc.)

Encryption Key (HIVE_CREDENTIAL_KEY)

The encrypted credential store requires HIVE_CREDENTIAL_KEY to encrypt/decrypt credentials.

If the user doesn't have one, EncryptedFileStorage will auto-generate one and log it
The user MUST persist this key (e.g., in ~/.bashrc or a secrets manager)
Without this key, stored credentials cannot be decrypted
This is the ONLY secret that should live in ~/.bashrc or environment config

If HIVE_CREDENTIAL_KEY is not set:

Let the store generate one
Tell the user to save it: export HIVE_CREDENTIAL_KEY="{generated_key}"
Recommend adding it to ~/.bashrc or their shell profile

Security Rules

NEVER log, print, or echo credential values in tool output
NEVER store credentials in plaintext files, git-tracked files, or agent configs
NEVER hardcode credentials in source code
ALWAYS use SecretStr from Pydantic when handling credential values in Python
ALWAYS use the encrypted credential store (~/.hive/credentials) for persistence
ALWAYS run health checks before storing credentials (when possible)
ALWAYS verify credentials were stored by re-running validation, not by reading them back
When modifying ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc, confirm with the user first

Credential Sources Reference

All credential specs are defined in tools/src/aden_tools/credentials/:

File	Category	Credentials	Aden Supported
`llm.py`	LLM Providers	`anthropic`	No
`search.py`	Search Tools	`brave_search`, `google_search`, `google_cse`	No
`integrations.py`	Integrations	`hubspot`	Yes

Note: Additional LLM providers (Cerebras, Groq, OpenAI) are handled by LiteLLM via environment variables (CEREBRAS_API_KEY, GROQ_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY) but are not yet in CREDENTIAL_SPECS. Add them to llm.py as needed.

To check what's registered:

from aden_tools.credentials import CREDENTIAL_SPECS
for name, spec in CREDENTIAL_SPECS.items():
    print(f"{name}: aden={spec.aden_supported}, direct={spec.direct_api_key_supported}")

Migration: CredentialManager → CredentialStore

CredentialManager is deprecated. Use CredentialStore instead.

Old (Deprecated)	New (Recommended)
`CredentialManager()`	`CredentialStore.with_encrypted_storage()`
`creds.get("hubspot")`	`store.get("hubspot")` or `store.get_key("hubspot", "access_token")`
`creds.validate_for_tools(tools)`	Use `store.is_available(cred_id)` per credential
`creds.get_auth_options("hubspot")`	Check `CREDENTIAL_SPECS["hubspot"].aden_supported`
`creds.get_setup_instructions("hubspot")`	Access `CREDENTIAL_SPECS["hubspot"]` directly

Why migrate?

CredentialStore supports encrypted storage, multi-key credentials, template resolution, and automatic token refresh
CredentialManager only reads from environment variables and .env files (no encryption, no refresh)
CredentialStoreAdapter exists for backward compatibility during migration

# Old way (deprecated)
from aden_tools.credentials import CredentialManager
creds = CredentialManager()
token = creds.get("hubspot")

# New way (recommended)
from core.framework.credentials import CredentialStore
store = CredentialStore.with_encrypted_storage()
token = store.get("hubspot")

# With Aden sync (recommended for OAuth integrations)
store = CredentialStore.with_aden_sync()
token = store.get_key("hubspot", "access_token")

Example Session

User: /setup-credentials for my hubspot-agent

Agent: Let me check what credentials your hubspot-agent needs.

[Runs validation, finds ANTHROPIC_API_KEY and HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN missing]

Agent: Your hubspot-agent requires 2 credentials:

  1. ANTHROPIC_API_KEY - Anthropic API key for LLM calls
  2. HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN - HubSpot access token

Let's set these up one at a time.

--- Setting up ANTHROPIC_API_KEY ---

This credential only supports direct API key entry.

[Shows instructions for getting Anthropic API key]
[AskUserQuestion: "Please provide your Anthropic API key:"]
[User provides key]
[Stores in credential store, exports to env]

--- Setting up HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN ---

[AskUserQuestion with 3 options]

Choose how to configure HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN:
  1) Aden Authorization Server (Recommended)
  2) Direct API Key
  3) Custom Credential Store (Advanced)

User: 1 (Aden)

Agent: Great! Let me check if you have an Aden API key configured...

[Checks for ADEN_API_KEY, not found]
[Opens browser to integration.adenhq.com/setup]

Agent: I've opened Aden's setup page. Please:
  1. Sign in or create an account
  2. Connect your HubSpot account (OAuth happens on Aden's site)
  3. Copy the API key shown after setup

[AskUserQuestion: "Please provide your Aden API key:"]
[User provides key]

Agent: Would you like me to save this to your shell config (~/.zshrc) for future sessions?

[User approves]
[Saves to ~/.zshrc and ~/.hive/configuration.json]

Agent: Let me sync your credentials from Aden...

[Syncs credentials from Aden server - OAuth already done on Aden's side]
[Runs health check]

Agent: HubSpot credentials validated successfully!

All credentials are now configured:
  - ANTHROPIC_API_KEY: Stored in encrypted credential store
  - HUBSPOT_ACCESS_TOKEN: Synced from Aden (OAuth completed on Aden)
  - Validation passed - your agent is ready to run!