Credentials
Google DeepMindOfficialPublished by Google DeepMind
- Skill
- Guidelines
- Security
- Apache-2.0
- No issues found
AutoGineer summary
Written by AutoGineer from the skill’s own files, not by the author
This skill provides a mandatory set of guidelines for handling sensitive credentials such as API keys. It establishes a secure workflow for verifying the presence of required variables in a local .env file without exposing them to the agent's context or conversation history. By following these instructions, agents can ensure that sensitive information remains protected while still enabling the necessary access for other skills and scripts.
What it does
- Defines a secure method to check for the existence of credentials using quiet grep commands.
- Prevents the accidental leakage of sensitive keys into chat logs or agent memory.
- Provides a standardized template for users to input credentials securely via terminal commands.
- Instructs on how to hide user input during the credential entry process.
- Ensures that helper scripts can access credentials automatically from a local .env file.
When to use it
- Whenever a skill requires an API key or sensitive credential to function.
- Before executing any tool or script that depends on external authentication.
- When a user needs to be prompted to provide a missing credential safely.
- To maintain security best practices when managing environment variables.
Advantages
- Minimizes the risk of exposing sensitive keys in conversation history.
- Standardizes the credential management process across different skills.
- Uses secure terminal practices like hidden input for sensitive data entry.
- Ensures consistent behavior when verifying environment configurations.
Usage examples
- “I need to use the AlphaGenome tool.”
- The agent verifies the presence of ALPHAGENOME_API_KEY in the .env file. If missing, it provides a secure terminal command for the user to input the key without exposing it.
- “How do I add my API key for this service?”
- The agent provides the secure printf/read command template, instructing the user to run it in their terminal to append the key to their .env file.
Install
Download the skill as a ZIP:
https://mp-staging.autogineer.com/agent-skills/google-deepmind/credentials/downloadUnzip it into the cross-client skills folder of your project:
mkdir -p .agents/skills && unzip credentials.zip -d .agents/skills
Documentation by Google DeepMind
Safe Credentials Protocol
Many skills require API keys or other credentials to function or to access higher rate limits. This skill defines the standard safe credentials protocol for verifying and prompting for these credentials without leaking sensitive keys into the agent context or the conversation history.
Safe Verification (No Leaks)
As soon as a skill that requires a credential or API key looks relevant to the
user's request, you MUST immediately verify if the credential is present in
the .env file (typically located in your home directory ~/.env or the
project root) — before doing any other work for that skill.
CRITICAL: You must verify the presence of the credential without printing its value to the terminal or reading it into your context.
How to verify:
Use grep in quiet and suppress-errors mode (-sq) to check if the variable is
defined in ~/.env. The -s flag ensures the command works cleanly even if
~/.env does not exist yet.
grep -sq "^CREDENTIAL_NAME=" ~/.envReplace CREDENTIAL_NAME with the actual credential name required by the
calling skill (e.g., ALPHAGENOME_API_KEY or USER_EMAIL).
If the command succeeds (exit code 0), the credential is present. You can proceed.
If the command fails (any non-zero exit code — whether the credential is missing or the
.envfile does not exist yet), the credential is missing. You MUST IMMEDIATELY stop and prompt the user to add it using the instructions in Prompting the User to Add Credentials before attempting to run any scripts or tools. Do not conclude the turn by simply stating that the key is missing.
[!CRITICAL] If verification fails (any non-zero exit code), you MUST NOT attempt to execute any tools or scripts from the calling skill, nor should you conclude the turn by simply reporting the missing key. You MUST IMMEDIATELY generate the appropriate terminal command from the templates below and prompt the user to run it. The template command will create the
.envfile if it does not already exist.
NEVER run cat ~/.env, grep "VAR" ~/.env (without -q), echo $VAR, or
printenv to check for credentials.
Prompting the User to Add Credentials
If a credential is missing, do NOT ask the user to paste it into the chat. This would leak the value into the agent's context and the conversation history.
Instead, you MUST generate a specific command for the user to run in their terminal by replacing the placeholders in one of the templates below.
CRITICAL: Before presenting the command to the user, you MUST replace:
CREDENTIAL_NAMEwith the actual variable name needed (e.g.,ALPHAGENOME_API_KEY,USER_EMAIL).ENV_FILEwith the resolved literal path to the.envfile (usually~/.env).
Template
All credentials are treated as sensitive. The read -s flag hides the user's
typing. You MUST inform the user that their typing will be hidden.
CRITICAL: When requesting a credential, you MUST also provide the user with the appropriate registration link or instructions provided by the calling skill so they know how to obtain the value if they do not have one.
printf "Enter CREDENTIAL_NAME (typing hidden): " && read -s val && echo && echo "CREDENTIAL_NAME=$val" >> "ENV_FILE" && echo "Saved."Running scripts requiring credentials
All helper scripts inside the calling skills load these credentials
automatically from the .env file using dotenv.
You do NOT need to manually read the keys, export them to the shell
environment, or pass them as CLI arguments, when calling the helper scripts that
require them. As long as you have verified the key is present in .env using
the safe protocol above, simply run the script directly — the script will load
the credential automatically.
Files
- ATTRIBUTION.mdAdded by AutoGineer904 B
- LICENSELicence file added by AutoGineer11.1 KiB
- SKILL.md4.1 KiB
LICENSE
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Requirements and compatibility
Works with: Claude Code, Claude apps, OpenAI Codex, GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Gemini CLI, Kiro, OpenCode, Goose, Amp, Roo Code, JetBrains Junie, Factory Droid, Devin (ex-Windsurf), Mistral Vibe, OpenHands, Letta
“Works with” means the tool reads the open Agent Skills format; a skill written for one tool may use features others lack.
Needs: Needs an API key
Security
No issues found by our static scan· No issues found
A static scan is not a guarantee. Skills are third-party content: review a skill before you let an agent use it.
Attribution and licence
- Published by
- Google DeepMind
- Publisher
- Google DeepMind (Official)
- Source
- google-deepmind/science-skills · skills/credentials · commit 4de6786
- Licence
- Apache License 2.0 (redistribution allowed)
- LICENSE (added by AutoGineer from LICENSE)
- ATTRIBUTION.md (written by AutoGineer)
- Synced
AutoGineer is not affiliated with or endorsed by Google DeepMind.
Download ZIP
The ZIP holds the skill’s files, its licence files and an ATTRIBUTION.md. Download credentials.zip