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Barekey is a variable platform for teams that want better ergonomics than hand-managed .env files. In practice, most teams use it in one of two ways:
  • The SDK reads variables directly in your app.
  • The CLI manages variables and pulls them into local files when you want a classic .env workflow.
This documentation is organized around those two workflows first.

Quickstart

Install the CLI, add barekey.json, create a variable, and read it with the SDK.

SDK guide

Learn constructor options, auth resolution, typegen, dynamic reads, public reads, and standalone mode.

CLI guide

Learn every command, target resolution rules, output modes, and practical day-to-day workflows.

Local development

Use barekey.json, pull values into .env.local, or point the SDK at local .env files with standalone mode.

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Use the SDK in application code

Use @barekey/sdk/server when your app should resolve variables directly:
  • server apps
  • worker runtimes
  • edge functions
  • scripts that already run in Node, Bun, or another fetch-compatible runtime
This is the best fit when you want current values at runtime, generated types, and fewer plaintext files on disk.

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Use the CLI for setup, management, and local files

Use @barekey/cli when you want to:
  • log in once on a machine
  • create or update variables from the terminal
  • inspect stage values
  • pull resolved values into .env, .env.local, or JSON
  • run typegen for your installed SDK package

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Use standalone mode for local .env compatibility

The server SDK also supports config.mode: "standalone". In that mode it reads local .env* files instead of calling the Barekey API. That gives you one SDK API for both:
  • centralized Barekey-backed environments
  • purely local development and testing

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Core model

Variables are scoped by: 
organization -> project -> stage -> variable
  • An organization is your team scope.
  • A project is an app or service inside that organization.
  • A stage is an environment such as development, staging, or production.
  • A variable is a named value inside one project stage.
Barekey currently documents these shipped variable kinds:
  • secret
  • ab_roll

Quickstart

Start with a complete first-time setup.

JavaScript SDK

Full SDK guide and configuration reference.

CLI

Full CLI guide and command reference.

Error reference

Understand SDK and API error codes.