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BytesAgain β€Ί Skills β€Ί Proton Pass CLI
πŸ¦€ ClawHub

Proton Pass CLI

by @kakatkarakshay

Manage Proton Pass vaults, items (logins, SSH keys, aliases, notes), passwords, SSH agent integration, and secret injection into applications. Use when working with Proton Pass for password management, SSH key storage, secret injection (run commands with secrets, inject into templates), environment variable injection, or generating secure passwords. Supports vault/item CRUD, sharing, member management, SSH agent operations, TOTP generation, secret references (pass://vault/item/field), template i

Versionv1.1.0
Downloads2,681
Installs2
#legal#communication#productivity
TERMINAL
clawhub install proton-pass

πŸ“– About This Skill

name: proton-pass description: Manage Proton Pass vaults, items (logins, SSH keys, aliases, notes), passwords, SSH agent integration, and secret injection into applications. Use when working with Proton Pass for password management, SSH key storage, secret injection (run commands with secrets, inject into templates), environment variable injection, or generating secure passwords. Supports vault/item CRUD, sharing, member management, SSH agent operations, TOTP generation, secret references (pass://vault/item/field), template injection, and command execution with secrets.

Proton Pass CLI

Comprehensive password and secret management via the Proton Pass CLI. Manage vaults, items, SSH keys, share credentials, inject secrets, and integrate with SSH workflows.

Installation

Quick install

macOS/Linux: 

curl -fsSL https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.sh | bash

Windows: 

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://proton.me/download/pass-cli/install.ps1 -OutFile install.ps1; .\install.ps1

Homebrew (macOS)

brew install protonpass/tap/pass-cli

Note: Package manager installations (Homebrew, etc.) do not support pass-cli update command or track switching.

Verify installation

pass-cli --version

Authentication

Web login (recommended)

Default authentication method supporting all login flows (SSO, U2F):

pass-cli login

Open the URL displayed in your browser and complete authentication

Interactive login

Terminal-based authentication (supports password + TOTP, but not SSO or U2F):

pass-cli login --interactive user@proton.me

#### Environment variables for automation

# Credentials as plain text (less secure)
export PROTON_PASS_PASSWORD='your-password'
export PROTON_PASS_TOTP='123456'
export PROTON_PASS_EXTRA_PASSWORD='your-extra-password'
Or from files (more secure)

export PROTON_PASS_PASSWORD_FILE='/secure/password.txt'
export PROTON_PASS_TOTP_FILE='/secure/totp.txt'
export PROTON_PASS_EXTRA_PASSWORD_FILE='/secure/extra-password.txt'
pass-cli login --interactive user@proton.me

Verify session

pass-cli info          # Show session info
pass-cli test          # Test connection

Logout

pass-cli logout        # Normal logout
pass-cli logout --force  # Force local cleanup if remote fails

Vault Management

List vaults

pass-cli vault list
pass-cli vault list --output json

Create vault

pass-cli vault create --name "Vault Name"

Update vault

# By share ID
pass-cli vault update --share-id "abc123def" --name "New Name"
By name

pass-cli vault update --vault-name "Old Name" --name "New Name"

Delete vault

⚠️ Warning: Permanently deletes vault and all items.

# By share ID
pass-cli vault delete --share-id "abc123def"
By name

pass-cli vault delete --vault-name "Old Vault"

Share vault

# Share with viewer access (default)
pass-cli vault share --share-id "abc123def" colleague@company.com
Share with specific role

pass-cli vault share --vault-name "Team Vault" colleague@company.com --role editor
Roles: viewer, editor, manager

Manage vault members

# List members
pass-cli vault member list --share-id "abc123def"
pass-cli vault member list --vault-name "Team Vault" --output json
Update member role

pass-cli vault member update --share-id "abc123def" --member-share-id "member123" --role editor
Remove member

pass-cli vault member remove --share-id "abc123def" --member-share-id "member123"

Transfer vault ownership

pass-cli vault transfer --share-id "abc123def" "member_share_id_xyz"
pass-cli vault transfer --vault-name "My Vault" "member_share_id_xyz"

Item Management

List items

# List from specific vault
pass-cli item list "Vault Name"
pass-cli item list --share-id "abc123def"
List with default vault (if configured)

pass-cli item list

View item

# By IDs
pass-cli item view --share-id "abc123def" --item-id "item456"
By names

pass-cli item view --vault-name "MyVault" --item-title "MyItem"
Using Pass URI

pass-cli item view "pass://abc123def/item456"
pass-cli item view "pass://MyVault/MyItem"
View specific field

pass-cli item view "pass://abc123def/item456/password"
pass-cli item view --share-id "abc123def" --item-id "item456" --field "username"
Output format

pass-cli item view --share-id "abc123def" --item-id "item456" --output json

Create login item

# Basic login
pass-cli item create login \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "GitHub Account" \
  --username "myuser" \
  --password "mypassword" \
  --url "https://github.com"
With vault name

pass-cli item create login \
  --vault-name "Personal" \
  --title "Account" \
  --username "user" \
  --email "user@example.com" \
  --url "https://example.com"
With generated password

pass-cli item create login \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "New Account" \
  --username "myuser" \
  --generate-password \
  --url "https://example.com"
Custom password generation: "length,uppercase,symbols"

pass-cli item create login \
  --vault-name "Work" \
  --title "Secure Account" \
  --username "myuser" \
  --generate-password="20,true,true" \
  --url "https://example.com"
Generate passphrase

pass-cli item create login \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "Account" \
  --username "user" \
  --generate-passphrase="5" \
  --url "https://example.com"

#### Login template

# Get template structure
pass-cli item create login --get-template > template.json
Create from template

pass-cli item create login --from-template template.json --share-id "abc123def"
Create from stdin

echo '{"title":"Test","username":"user","password":"pass","urls":["https://test.com"]}' | \
  pass-cli item create login --share-id "abc123def" --from-template -

Template format: 

{
  "title": "Item Title",
  "username": "optional_username",
  "email": "optional_email@example.com",
  "password": "optional_password",
  "urls": ["https://example.com", "https://app.example.com"]
}

Create SSH key items

#### Generate new SSH key

# Generate Ed25519 key (recommended)
pass-cli item create ssh-key generate \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "GitHub Deploy Key"
Using vault name

pass-cli item create ssh-key generate \
  --vault-name "Development Keys" \
  --title "GitHub Deploy Key"
Generate RSA 4096 key with comment

pass-cli item create ssh-key generate \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "Production Server" \
  --key-type rsa4096 \
  --comment "prod-server-deploy"
Key types: ed25519 (default), rsa2048, rsa4096
With passphrase protection

pass-cli item create ssh-key generate \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "Secure Key" \
  --password
Passphrase from environment

PROTON_PASS_SSH_KEY_PASSWORD="my-passphrase" \
  pass-cli item create ssh-key generate \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "Automated Key" \
  --password

#### Import existing SSH key

# Import unencrypted key
pass-cli item create ssh-key import \
  --from-private-key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "My SSH Key"
Import with vault name

pass-cli item create ssh-key import \
  --from-private-key ~/.ssh/id_rsa \
  --vault-name "Personal Keys" \
  --title "Old RSA Key"
Import passphrase-protected key (will prompt)

pass-cli item create ssh-key import \
  --from-private-key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "Protected Key" \
  --password
Passphrase from environment

PROTON_PASS_SSH_KEY_PASSWORD="my-key-passphrase" \
  pass-cli item create ssh-key import \
  --from-private-key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "Automated Import" \
  --password

Recommendation: For importing passphrase-protected keys, consider removing the passphrase first since keys will be encrypted in your vault:

# Create unencrypted copy
cp ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 /tmp/id_ed25519_temp
ssh-keygen -p -f /tmp/id_ed25519_temp -N ""
Import

pass-cli item create ssh-key import \
  --from-private-key /tmp/id_ed25519_temp \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --title "My SSH Key"
Securely delete temp copy

shred -u /tmp/id_ed25519_temp  # Linux
rm -P /tmp/id_ed25519_temp     # macOS

Create email alias

# Create alias
pass-cli item alias create --share-id "abc123def" --prefix "newsletter"
pass-cli item alias create --vault-name "Personal" --prefix "shopping"
With JSON output

pass-cli item alias create --vault-name "Personal" --prefix "temp" --output json

Update item

# Update single field
pass-cli item update \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --item-id "item456" \
  --field "password=newpassword123"
By vault name and item title

pass-cli item update \
  --vault-name "Personal" \
  --item-title "GitHub Account" \
  --field "password=newpassword123"
Update multiple fields

pass-cli item update \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --item-id "item456" \
  --field "username=newusername" \
  --field "password=newpassword" \
  --field "email=newemail@example.com"
Rename item

pass-cli item update \
  --vault-name "Work" \
  --item-title "Old Title" \
  --field "title=New Title"
Create/update custom fields

pass-cli item update \
  --share-id "abc123def" \
  --item-id "item456" \
  --field "api_key=sk_live_abc123" \
  --field "environment=production"

Note: Item update does not support TOTP or time fields. Use another Proton Pass client for those.

Delete item

⚠️ Warning: Permanent deletion.

pass-cli item delete --share-id "abc123def" --item-id "item456"

Share item

# Share with viewer access (default)
pass-cli item share --share-id "abc123def" --item-id "item456" colleague@company.com
Share with editor access

pass-cli item share --share-id "abc123def" --item-id "item456" colleague@company.com --role editor

Generate TOTP codes

# Generate all TOTPs for an item
pass-cli item totp "pass://TOTP vault/WithTOTPs"
Specific TOTP field

pass-cli item totp "pass://TOTP vault/WithTOTPs/TOTP 1"
JSON output

pass-cli item totp "pass://TOTP vault/WithTOTPs" --output json
Extract specific value

pass-cli item totp "pass://TOTP vault/WithTOTPs/TOTP 1" --output json | jq -r '.["TOTP 1"]'

Password Generation & Analysis

Generate passwords

# Random password (default settings)
pass-cli password generate random
Custom random password

pass-cli password generate random --length 20 --numbers true --uppercase true --symbols true
Simple password without symbols

pass-cli password generate random --length 16 --symbols false
Generate passphrase

pass-cli password generate passphrase
Custom passphrase

pass-cli password generate passphrase --count 5
pass-cli password generate passphrase --count 4 --separator hyphens
pass-cli password generate passphrase --count 4 --capitalize true --numbers true

Analyze password strength

# Score a password
pass-cli password score "mypassword123"
JSON output

pass-cli password score "MySecureP@ssw0rd*" --output json

Example JSON output: 

{
  "numeric_score": 51.666666666666664,
  "password_score": "Vulnerable",
  "penalties": [
    "ContainsCommonPassword",
    "Consecutive"
  ]
}

SSH Agent Integration

Load SSH keys into existing agent

Load Proton Pass SSH keys into your existing SSH agent:

# Load all SSH keys
pass-cli ssh-agent load
Load from specific vault

pass-cli ssh-agent load --share-id MY_SHARE_ID
pass-cli ssh-agent load --vault-name MySshKeysVault

Prerequisite: Ensure SSH_AUTH_SOCK environment variable is defined.

Run Proton Pass CLI as SSH agent

Start Proton Pass CLI as a standalone SSH agent:

# Start agent
pass-cli ssh-agent start
From specific vault

pass-cli ssh-agent start --share-id MY_SHARE_ID
pass-cli ssh-agent start --vault-name MySshKeysVault
Custom socket path

pass-cli ssh-agent start --socket-path /custom/path/agent.sock
Custom refresh interval (default 3600 seconds)

pass-cli ssh-agent start --refresh-interval 7200  # 2 hours

After starting, export the socket: 

export SSH_AUTH_SOCK=/Users/youruser/.ssh/proton-pass-agent.sock

#### Auto-create SSH key items (v1.3.0+)

Automatically save SSH keys added via ssh-add:

# Enable auto-creation
pass-cli ssh-agent start --create-new-identities MySshKeysVault
In another terminal

export SSH_AUTH_SOCK=$HOME/.ssh/proton-pass-agent.sock
ssh-add ~/.ssh/my_new_key

Key is now automatically saved to Proton Pass!

Troubleshooting SSH

#### ssh-copy-id fails with many keys

Force password authentication: 

ssh-copy-id -o PreferredAuthentications=password -o PubkeyAuthentication=no user@server

Pass URI Syntax (Secret References)

Reference secrets using the format: pass://vault/item/field

Syntax

pass:////

  • vault-identifier: Vault's Share ID or name
  • item-identifier: Item's ID or title
  • field-name: Specific field to retrieve (required)

    • Examples

    # By names
pass://Work/GitHub Account/password
pass://Personal/Email Login/username
    By IDs
    
pass://AbCdEf123456/XyZ789/password
pass://ShareId123/ItemId456/api_key
    Mixed (vault by name, item by ID)
    
pass://Work/XyZ789/password
    Custom fields (case-sensitive)
    
pass://Work/API Keys/api_key
pass://Production/Database/connection_string

    Common fields

  • username - Username/login name
  • password - Password
  • email - Email address
  • url - Website URL
  • note - Additional notes
  • totp - TOTP secret (for 2FA)
  • Custom fields with any name (case-sensitive)

    • Rules

  • All three components (vault/item/field) are required
  • Names with spaces are supported
  • Resolution is case-sensitive
  • If duplicates exist, first match is used (prefer IDs for precision)

    • Invalid formats: 

    pass://vault/item              # Missing field name
pass://vault/item/             # Trailing slash
pass://vault/                  # Missing item and field

    Secret Injection

    Run commands with secrets (run)

    Execute commands with secrets from Proton Pass injected as environment variables.

    Synopsis: 

    pass-cli run [--env-file FILE]... [--no-masking] -- COMMAND [ARGS...]

    How it works: 1. Collects environment variables from current process and .env files 2. Scans for pass:// URIs in variable values 3. Resolves secrets from Proton Pass 4. Replaces URIs with actual secret values 5. Masks secrets in output (unless --no-masking) 6. Executes command with resolved environment 7. Forwards stdin/stdout/stderr and signals (SIGTERM/SIGINT)

    Arguments:

  • --env-file FILE - Load environment variables from dotenv file (can specify multiple, processed in order)
  • --no-masking - Disable automatic masking of secrets in output
  • COMMAND [ARGS...] - Command to execute (must come after --)

    • #### Basic usage

    # Set secret reference in environment
export DB_PASSWORD='pass://Production/Database/password'
    Run application with injected secret
    
pass-cli run -- ./my-app

    #### Using .env files

    Create .env: 

    DB_HOST=localhost
DB_PORT=5432
DB_USERNAME=admin
DB_PASSWORD=pass://Production/Database/password
API_KEY=pass://Work/External API/api_key

    Run: 

    pass-cli run --env-file .env -- ./my-app
    Multiple env files (later override earlier)
    
pass-cli run \
  --env-file base.env \
  --env-file secrets.env \
  --env-file local.env \
  -- ./my-app

    #### Multiple secrets in single value

    # Mix secrets with plain text
DATABASE_URL="postgresql://user:pass://vault/db/password@localhost/db"
API_ENDPOINT="https://api.example.com?key=pass://vault/api/key"

    #### Secret masking

    Default (masked): 

    pass-cli run -- ./my-app

    If app logs: API_KEY: sk_live_abc123
    

    Output shows: API_KEY:

    Unmasked: 

    pass-cli run --no-masking -- ./my-app

    #### Running with arguments

    pass-cli run -- ./my-app --config production --verbose

    #### CI/CD integration

    #!/bin/bash

    Load production secrets
    
pass-cli run --env-file .env.production -- ./deploy.sh

    Inject secrets into templates (inject)

    Process template files and replace secret references with actual values using handlebars-style syntax.

    Synopsis: 

    pass-cli inject [--in-file FILE] [--out-file FILE] [--force] [--file-mode MODE]

    How it works: 1. Reads template from --in-file or stdin 2. Finds {{ pass://vault/item/field }} patterns 3. Resolves secrets from Proton Pass 4. Replaces references with actual values 5. Outputs to --out-file or stdout 6. Sets file permissions (Unix)

    Arguments:

  • --in-file, -i - Path to template file (or stdin)
  • --out-file, -o - Path to write output (or stdout)
  • --force, -f - Overwrite output file without prompting
  • --file-mode - Set file permissions (Unix, default: 0600)

    • #### Template syntax

    Important: Use double braces {{ }} (unlike run which uses bare pass://)

    # config.yaml.template
database:
  host: localhost
  username: {{ pass://Production/Database/username }}
  password: {{ pass://Production/Database/password }}
    api:
  key: {{ pass://Work/API Keys/api_key }}
  secret: {{ pass://Work/API Keys/secret }}
    This comment with pass://fake/uri is ignored
    

    Only {{ }} wrapped references are processed

    #### Inject to stdout

    pass-cli inject --in-file config.yaml.template

    #### Inject to file

    pass-cli inject \
  --in-file config.yaml.template \
  --out-file config.yaml
    Overwrite existing
    
pass-cli inject \
  --in-file config.yaml.template \
  --out-file config.yaml \
  --force

    #### Read from stdin

    cat template.txt | pass-cli inject
    Or with heredoc
    
pass-cli inject << EOF
{
  "database": {
    "password": "{{ pass://Production/Database/password }}"
  }
}
EOF

    #### Custom file permissions

    pass-cli inject \
  --in-file template.txt \
  --out-file config.txt \
  --file-mode 0644

    #### JSON template example

    {
  "database": {
    "host": "localhost",
    "password": "{{ pass://Production/Database/password }}"
  },
  "api": {
    "key": "{{ pass://Work/API/key }}"
  }
}

    Settings Management

    Configure persistent preferences:

    View settings

    pass-cli settings view

    Set default vault

    # By name
pass-cli settings set default-vault --vault-name "Personal Vault"
    By share ID
    
pass-cli settings set default-vault --share-id "3GqM1RhVZL8uXR_abc123"

    Affected commands: item list, item view, item totp, item create, item update, etc.

    Set default output format

    pass-cli settings set default-format human
pass-cli settings set default-format json

    Affected commands: item list, item view, item totp, vault list, etc.

    Unset defaults

    pass-cli settings unset default-vault
pass-cli settings unset default-format

    Share Management

    List all shares

    pass-cli share list
pass-cli share list --output json

    Shows all resources (vaults and items) shared with you and your role.

    Invitation Management

    List pending invitations

    pass-cli invite list
pass-cli invite list --output json

    Accept invitation

    pass-cli invite accept --invite-token "abc123def456"

    Reject invitation

    pass-cli invite reject --invite-token "abc123def456"

    User & Session Info

    View session info

    pass-cli info

    Shows: Release track, User ID, Username, Email.

    View detailed user info

    pass-cli user info
pass-cli user info --output json

    Shows: Account details, subscription, storage usage.

    Test connection

    pass-cli test

    Verifies session validity and API connectivity.

    Updates

    Note: Only for manual installations (not package managers).

    Update to latest version

    pass-cli update
pass-cli update --yes  # Skip confirmation

    Change release track

    # Switch to beta
pass-cli update --set-track beta
pass-cli update
    Switch back to stable
    
pass-cli update --set-track stable
pass-cli update

    Disable automatic update checks

    export PROTON_PASS_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1

    Object Types

    Share

    A Share represents the relationship between a user and a resource (vault or item). Defines access and permissions.

  • Vault shares: Access to entire vault and all items within it
  • Item shares: Access to a single specific item only
  • Roles:
    • - Viewer: Read-only access - Editor: Read and write, can manage items (but not share or manage members) - Manager: Full control including sharing and member management - Owner: Created the vault, only one who can delete it

    Vault

    A container that organizes items. Items exist in exactly one vault.

    Item Types

  • Login: Username/password credentials with URLs, TOTP support
  • Note: Secure text notes
  • Credit Card: Payment card information (encrypted)
  • Identity: Personal information about a person
  • Alias: Email aliases for privacy protection
  • SSH Key: SSH private keys for authentication
  • Wifi: Credentials to access a WiFi network

    • Note: Items are identified by Item ID, but this ID is only unique when combined with Share ID (ShareID + ItemID = globally unique).

    Best Practices

    Security

  • Use web login for maximum compatibility (SSO, U2F)
  • Generate unique passwords for each account
  • Use SSH keys stored in Pass instead of local filesystem
  • Logout on shared systems
  • Regularly review share permissions

    • Organization

  • Create separate vaults for different contexts (work, personal)
  • Use descriptive titles for items and vaults
  • Set default vault for frequently used vault
  • Configure default output format (JSON for scripts, human for interactive)

    • Automation

  • Store credentials in files (not env vars) for better security
  • Use Pass URIs for programmatic secret access
  • Leverage JSON output for scripting
  • Include pass-cli logout in automation cleanup

    • Sharing

  • Use principle of least privilege (start with viewer)
  • Prefer vault shares for ongoing collaboration
  • Use item shares for specific, limited access
  • Regularly audit members and permissions

    • Docker Usage

    Running in Docker containers requires filesystem key storage (keyring unavailable):

    # 1. Ensure logged out
pass-cli logout --force
    2. Set filesystem key provider
    
export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=fs
    3. Login as normal
    
pass-cli login

    Why filesystem storage?

  • Containers cannot access kernel secret service
  • D-Bus unavailable in headless environments
  • Filesystem storage is the only option

    • ⚠️ Security note: Key stored side-by-side with encrypted data. Secure your container environment.

    Troubleshooting

    Authentication issues

    # Check session status
pass-cli info
pass-cli test
    Re-authenticate
    
pass-cli logout
pass-cli login

    Network issues

  • Verify internet connectivity
  • Check firewall settings for Proton domains
  • Test with pass-cli test

    • Permission errors

  • Verify your role: pass-cli share list
  • Ensure you have required permissions for the operation
  • Contact vault owner to adjust permissions

    • Missing resources

  • Check you're looking in the right vault
  • Verify resource hasn't been deleted
  • Confirm access hasn't been revoked
  • Check pending invitations: pass-cli invite list

    • Secret reference resolution errors

    "Invalid reference format":

  • Ensure format is pass://vault/item/field
  • Check for trailing slashes
  • Verify all three components present

    • "Secret reference requires a field name":

  • Add field name: pass://vault/item/field (not pass://vault/item)

    • "Field not found":

  • Verify field exists: pass-cli item view --share-id --item-id
  • Check field name spelling (case-sensitive)

    • Reference not found: 1. Check vault access: pass-cli vault list 2. Verify item exists: pass-cli item list --share-id 3. Confirm field name: pass-cli item view

    Configuration

    Logging

    # Levels: trace, debug, info, warn, error, off
export PASS_LOG_LEVEL=debug

    Note: Logs are sent to stderr (won't interfere with piping/command integration).

    Session storage

    Default locations:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/proton-pass-cli/.session/
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/proton-pass-cli/.session/

    • Override: 

    export PROTON_PASS_SESSION_DIR='/custom/path'

    Key storage providers

    Control how encryption keys are stored with PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER:

    #### 1. Keyring storage (default, most secure)

    export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=keyring  # or unset

    Uses OS secure storage:

  • macOS: macOS Keychain
  • Linux: Kernel-based secret storage (kernel keyring)
  • Windows: Windows Credential Manager

    • How it works:

  • Generates random 256-bit key on first run
  • Stores in system keyring
  • Retrieves on subsequent runs
  • If keyring unavailable but session exists, forces logout for security

    • Linux note: Uses kernel keyring (no D-Bus required), works in headless environments. Secrets cleared on reboot.

    Docker limitation: Containers cannot access kernel secret service. Use filesystem storage instead.

    #### 2. Filesystem storage

    ⚠️ Warning: Less secure - key stored side-by-side with encrypted data.

    export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=fs

    Stores key in /local.key with permissions 0600.

    Advantages:

  • Works in all environments (headless, containers)
  • Survives reboots
  • No dependency on system services

    • When to use:

  • Docker containers
  • Development/testing
  • When system keyring unavailable

    • #### 3. Environment variable storage

    ⚠️ Warning: Key visible to other processes in same session.

    export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=env
export PROTON_PASS_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-secret-key

    Derives encryption key from PROTON_PASS_ENCRYPTION_KEY (must be set and non-empty).

    Generate safe key: 

    dd if=/dev/urandom bs=1 count=2048 2>/dev/null | sha256sum | awk '{print $1}'

    Advantages:

  • Portable across all environments
  • No filesystem/keyring dependency
  • User controls key value
  • Works in CI/CD, containers, headless

    • When to use:

  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Containers where filesystem persistence undesirable
  • Automation scripts
  • Explicit control over encryption key needed

    • Telemetry

    Disable telemetry: 

    export PROTON_PASS_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1

    Or globally: Account security settings β†’ Disable "Collect usage diagnostics"

    What's sent: Anonymized usage data (e.g., "item created of type note") - never personal/sensitive data.

    Environment Variables

    Login credentials (interactive login)

    export PROTON_PASS_PASSWORD='password'
export PROTON_PASS_PASSWORD_FILE='/path/to/file'
export PROTON_PASS_TOTP='123456'
export PROTON_PASS_TOTP_FILE='/path/to/file'
export PROTON_PASS_EXTRA_PASSWORD='extra-password'
export PROTON_PASS_EXTRA_PASSWORD_FILE='/path/to/file'

    SSH key passphrase

    export PROTON_PASS_SSH_KEY_PASSWORD='passphrase'
export PROTON_PASS_SSH_KEY_PASSWORD_FILE='/path/to/file'

    Update checks

    export PROTON_PASS_NO_UPDATE_CHECK=1

    Installation

    export PROTON_PASS_CLI_INSTALL_DIR=/custom/path
export PROTON_PASS_CLI_INSTALL_CHANNEL=beta

    Common Workflows

    Create and populate a new vault

    # Create vault
pass-cli vault create --name "Project Alpha"
    List to get share ID
    
pass-cli vault list
    Create login items
    
pass-cli item create login \
  --share-id "new_vault_id" \
  --title "API Key" \
  --username "api_user" \
  --generate-password \
  --url "https://api.example.com"
    Share with team
    
pass-cli vault share --share-id "new_vault_id" alice@team.com --role editor

    Import and use SSH keys

    # Import existing key
pass-cli item create ssh-key import \
  --from-private-key ~/.ssh/id_ed25519 \
  --vault-name "SSH Keys" \
  --title "GitHub Key"
    Load into SSH agent
    
pass-cli ssh-agent load --vault-name "SSH Keys"
    Or start Pass as SSH agent
    
pass-cli ssh-agent start --vault-name "SSH Keys"
export SSH_AUTH_SOCK=$HOME/.ssh/proton-pass-agent.sock

    Scripted access to secrets

    #!/bin/bash

    Automated login
    
export PROTON_PASS_PASSWORD_FILE="$HOME/.secrets/pass-password"
pass-cli login --interactive user@proton.me
    Retrieve secret
    
DB_PASSWORD=$(pass-cli item view "pass://Production/Database/password" --output json | jq -r '.password')
    Use secret
    
connect-to-db --password "$DB_PASSWORD"
    Cleanup
    
pass-cli logout

    Application deployment with secrets

    #!/bin/bash

    Create .env.production with secret references
    
cat > .env.production << EOF
NODE_ENV=production
DATABASE_URL=pass://Production/Database/connection_string
API_KEY=pass://Production/API/key
STRIPE_SECRET=pass://Production/Stripe/secret_key
EOF
    Deploy application with secrets injected
    
pass-cli run --env-file .env.production -- npm start
    Or generate config file from template
    
pass-cli inject \
  --in-file config.yaml.template \
  --out-file config.yaml \
  --force
    Then run app with generated config
    
./app --config config.yaml

    CI/CD pipeline integration

    #!/bin/bash

    Login with environment variable key storage
    
export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=env
export PROTON_PASS_ENCRYPTION_KEY="${CI_PASS_ENCRYPTION_KEY}"
export PROTON_PASS_PASSWORD_FILE=/run/secrets/pass-password
    pass-cli login --interactive user@proton.me
    Run tests with secrets
    
pass-cli run --env-file .env.test -- npm test
    Deploy with secrets
    
pass-cli run --env-file .env.production -- ./deploy.sh
    Cleanup
    
pass-cli logout

    Notes

  • Beta status: Proton Pass CLI is currently in beta
  • Track switching: Only available for manual installations (not package managers)
  • Item update limitations: Cannot update TOTP or time fields via CLI
  • Passphrase recommendations: Passphrases optional for generated keys (already encrypted in vault)
  • SSH agent refresh: Default 1 hour, customizable with --refresh-interval
  • Docker containers: Must use filesystem key storage (PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=fs)
  • Linux keyring: Uses kernel keyring (no D-Bus), secrets cleared on reboot
  • Telemetry: Anonymized only (no personal data), can be disabled
  • Secret masking: Automatically masks secrets in run command output
  • Template syntax: inject requires {{ }} braces, run uses bare pass:// URIs
  • Item ID uniqueness: Item ID only unique when combined with Share ID

    • Command Reference Quick List

    Authentication:

  • login, logout, info, test

    • Vault:

  • vault list, vault create, vault update, vault delete, vault share, vault member, vault transfer

    • Item:

  • item list, item view, item create, item update, item delete, item share, item totp, item alias, item attachment

    • Secret Injection:

  • run - Execute commands with secrets injected as environment variables
  • inject - Process template files with secret references

    • Password:

  • password generate, password score

    • SSH:

  • ssh-agent load, ssh-agent start

    • Settings:

  • settings view, settings set, settings unset

    • Share & Invite:

  • share list, invite list, invite accept, invite reject

    • User:

  • user info

    • Update:

  • update

    • πŸ’‘ Examples

    # By names
pass://Work/GitHub Account/password
pass://Personal/Email Login/username
    By IDs
    
pass://AbCdEf123456/XyZ789/password
pass://ShareId123/ItemId456/api_key
    Mixed (vault by name, item by ID)
    
pass://Work/XyZ789/password
    Custom fields (case-sensitive)
    
pass://Work/API Keys/api_key
pass://Production/Database/connection_string

    Common fields

  • username - Username/login name
  • password - Password
  • email - Email address
  • url - Website URL
  • note - Additional notes
  • totp - TOTP secret (for 2FA)
  • Custom fields with any name (case-sensitive)

    • Rules

  • All three components (vault/item/field) are required
  • Names with spaces are supported
  • Resolution is case-sensitive
  • If duplicates exist, first match is used (prefer IDs for precision)

    • Invalid formats: 

    pass://vault/item              # Missing field name
pass://vault/item/             # Trailing slash
pass://vault/                  # Missing item and field

    βš™οΈ Configuration

    Logging

    # Levels: trace, debug, info, warn, error, off
export PASS_LOG_LEVEL=debug

    Note: Logs are sent to stderr (won't interfere with piping/command integration).

    Session storage

    Default locations:

  • macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/proton-pass-cli/.session/
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/proton-pass-cli/.session/

    • Override: 

    export PROTON_PASS_SESSION_DIR='/custom/path'

    Key storage providers

    Control how encryption keys are stored with PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER:

    #### 1. Keyring storage (default, most secure)

    export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=keyring  # or unset

    Uses OS secure storage:

  • macOS: macOS Keychain
  • Linux: Kernel-based secret storage (kernel keyring)
  • Windows: Windows Credential Manager

    • How it works:

  • Generates random 256-bit key on first run
  • Stores in system keyring
  • Retrieves on subsequent runs
  • If keyring unavailable but session exists, forces logout for security

    • Linux note: Uses kernel keyring (no D-Bus required), works in headless environments. Secrets cleared on reboot.

    Docker limitation: Containers cannot access kernel secret service. Use filesystem storage instead.

    #### 2. Filesystem storage

    ⚠️ Warning: Less secure - key stored side-by-side with encrypted data.

    export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=fs

    Stores key in /local.key with permissions 0600.

    Advantages:

  • Works in all environments (headless, containers)
  • Survives reboots
  • No dependency on system services

    • When to use:

  • Docker containers
  • Development/testing
  • When system keyring unavailable

    • #### 3. Environment variable storage

    ⚠️ Warning: Key visible to other processes in same session.

    export PROTON_PASS_KEY_PROVIDER=env
export PROTON_PASS_ENCRYPTION_KEY=your-secret-key

    Derives encryption key from PROTON_PASS_ENCRYPTION_KEY (must be set and non-empty).

    Generate safe key: 

    dd if=/dev/urandom bs=1 count=2048 2>/dev/null | sha256sum | awk '{print $1}'

    Advantages:

  • Portable across all environments
  • No filesystem/keyring dependency
  • User controls key value
  • Works in CI/CD, containers, headless

    • When to use:

  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Containers where filesystem persistence undesirable
  • Automation scripts
  • Explicit control over encryption key needed

    • Telemetry

    Disable telemetry: 

    export PROTON_PASS_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1

    Or globally: Account security settings β†’ Disable "Collect usage diagnostics"

    What's sent: Anonymized usage data (e.g., "item created of type note") - never personal/sensitive data.

    πŸ“‹ Tips & Best Practices

    Security

  • Use web login for maximum compatibility (SSO, U2F)
  • Generate unique passwords for each account
  • Use SSH keys stored in Pass instead of local filesystem
  • Logout on shared systems
  • Regularly review share permissions

    • Organization

  • Create separate vaults for different contexts (work, personal)
  • Use descriptive titles for items and vaults
  • Set default vault for frequently used vault
  • Configure default output format (JSON for scripts, human for interactive)

    • Automation

  • Store credentials in files (not env vars) for better security
  • Use Pass URIs for programmatic secret access
  • Leverage JSON output for scripting
  • Include pass-cli logout in automation cleanup

    • Sharing

  • Use principle of least privilege (start with viewer)
  • Prefer vault shares for ongoing collaboration
  • Use item shares for specific, limited access
  • Regularly audit members and permissions

    • πŸ”’ Constraints

  • All three components (vault/item/field) are required
  • Names with spaces are supported
  • Resolution is case-sensitive
  • If duplicates exist, first match is used (prefer IDs for precision)

    • Invalid formats: 

    pass://vault/item              # Missing field name
pass://vault/item/             # Trailing slash
pass://vault/                  # Missing item and field