Credentials

Store named secrets for integrations and workflow bindings without exposing raw values.

Credentials store named secret values that integrations and workflow bindings can reference without putting raw secrets into workflow definitions or connector records.

Open credentials from Integrations > Credentials or go to /credentials.

What Credentials Are For

Use credentials for values such as:

Secret type	Common use
API keys	AI provider model bindings, external services, and provider-specific auth.
Bearer tokens	HTTP MCP servers that require an Authorization header.
Long-lived integration secrets	Values that should be selected by name rather than pasted into workflow YAML.

Credentials are best for application-level integration secrets managed from the admin panel. They do not replace environment variables used to boot the API, such as SMTP settings, database URLs, or process-level secrets.

Credentials Page

The Credentials page shows stored credential records. Each row includes:

Column	Meaning
ID	Credential identifier used by bindings and API records.
Name	Human-readable unique name.
Owner	User who created the credential.
Value	Always masked in the list.
Created / Updated	Audit dates for the credential record.
Operations	Edit and delete actions, depending on permissions.

Use the search box to find credentials by name.

Credential values are not returned by normal API responses. Even when a credential is loaded for editing, the secret value is not prefilled.

Create a Credential

1. Open Integrations > Credentials.

2. Click Add.

3. Enter a unique name.

4. Paste the secret value.

5. Click Save.

The owner is set automatically to the authenticated user creating the credential.

Credential names should describe the secret's purpose rather than reveal the secret itself. For example, use OPENAI_PROD_API_KEY, MCP_CRM_TOKEN, or SUPPORT_PROVIDER_KEY.

Credentials are tied to their owner account. If that user is deleted, credentials owned by that user can be deleted with the account.

Edit a Credential

Click the pencil action on a credential row.

Editable fields:

Field	Notes
Name	Required. Must remain unique.
Value	Required. The existing value is not shown, so paste the current or replacement value before saving.

Editing is useful for rotating a token while keeping the same credential ID. This preserves references from model bindings, MCP servers, and workflow definitions.

If you only need to rename a credential, you still need to enter the secret value because the frontend cannot read the existing value back from the API.

Delete a Credential

Click the trash action and confirm deletion.

Delete credentials carefully:

Reference type	Effect of deleting the credential
HTTP MCP server credential	The server loses its credential reference or fails when it tries to build auth headers.
AI model binding API key	The workflow can keep a stale credential ID and fail when the AI action runs.
Other custom integrations	Behavior depends on the integration.

Prefer editing a credential to rotate its value. Delete only when no active workflow, MCP server, or integration depends on it.

Where Credentials Are Used

AI Model Bindings

Built-in AI actions use model bindings to choose a provider, model, and optional API key credential. The model binding form's Credential field selects records from this page.

At runtime, AI actions resolve the credential value and pass it to the provider initialization. This is used by actions such as:

Action
ai_agent
ai_generate_text
ai_generate_reply
ai_generate_object
ai_infer_object

YAML shape:

defs:
  primary_model:
    kind: model
    settings:
      provider: openai
      model_id: your-model-id
      api_key: 00000000-0000-4000-8000-000000000000

  generate_answer:
    kind: task
    action: ai_generate_text
    inputs:
      prompt: "=$input.text"
    bindings:
      model: primary_model

In this example, api_key is the credential ID, not the raw API key.

MCP Servers

HTTP MCP servers can reference a credential. At runtime, Hexabot resolves the value and sends it as:

Authorization: Bearer <credential-value>

Stdio MCP servers do not support credential records. Use environment variables for stdio server secrets, because the stdio command runs as a child process of the API.

Inline Creation From Other Forms

Some generated forms, such as AI model binding and HTTP MCP server forms, let users create a credential without leaving the current workflow. The created record is the same kind of credential shown on this page.

Security Model

Credentials reduce accidental exposure, but they are not a complete secrets-management system.

Important behavior:

Behavior	Detail
Values are write-only in normal UI flows	The API output schemas omit the value field.
Lists mask values	The frontend always shows the value column as asterisks.
Runtime services can resolve values	Server-side services call the credential service when an action or integration needs the secret.
Names are visible	Do not put secret material in credential names.
Deleting can break references	Stored workflow definitions may still point to a deleted credential ID.

Store only secrets that Hexabot needs at runtime. Do not use credentials as a general password vault for values unrelated to workflows or integrations.