> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ironbee.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Environment Variables
> Environment variables IronBee reads for CI, secrets, debugging, and project resolution.
Most configuration lives in [config files](/cli/configuration/configuration), but a few settings can be supplied via environment variables, handy for CI runners, ephemeral shells, and secrets you don't want to commit.
***
## Common
| Variable | Effect |
| --------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `IRONBEE_API_KEY` | Supplies `collector.apiKey` without committing it. **Takes precedence over every config layer.** Combine with a file-set `collector.url` for a complete config. The credential of choice for CI and the [GitHub Action](/github-action/get-started/getting-started). |
| `IRONBEE_OAUTH_TOKEN` | Supplies `collector.oauthToken` (the personal token from [`ironbee login`](/cli/guides/authentication)) without committing it. **Takes precedence over every config layer.** When both this and `IRONBEE_API_KEY` are set, the OAuth token wins. |
| `IRONBEE_TELEMETRY` | Set to `false` to turn off anonymous CLI telemetry for this shell/run, a per-session alternative to the [`telemetry.enable`](/cli/advanced/telemetry-statusline#telemetry) config key. |
| `IRONBEE_LOG_LEVEL` | Logging verbosity. Set to `debug` to see detailed output when troubleshooting. |
```bash theme={null}
# CI: provide the API key from a secret, no file commit
export IRONBEE_API_KEY=sk-...
ironbee import --since 30d --yes
```
Because `IRONBEE_API_KEY` overrides the files, a merged read (`ironbee config get collector.apiKey`) returns the env value. A layer-scoped read (`--project` / `--global` / `--local`) bypasses env and shows only what's on disk.
***
## Config placeholder bridges
[Config placeholders](/cli/configuration/configuration#placeholders-param-env-built-ins) let a committed config carry references that resolve from the environment — the way to override a team default per developer or per CI run without editing a file:
| Variable pattern | Feeds | Notes |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `IRONBEE_PARAM_` | `${param:}` references | Overrides the [`params`](/cli/configuration/configuration#core-options) block for that key. `` maps case-insensitively — `IRONBEE_PARAM_API_URL` fills `${param:api_url}`. |
| `IRONBEE_ENV_` | `${env:}` references | The **only** environment source a `${env:}` reference can read. `IRONBEE_ENV_STAGING_URL` fills `${env:staging_url}`. |
```bash theme={null}
# CI: override a committed ${param:api_url} for this run
export IRONBEE_PARAM_API_URL=https://api.staging.internal
```
The `IRONBEE_PARAM_*` / `IRONBEE_ENV_*` prefixes are **reserved for placeholder input** — the implied prefix means arbitrary environment variables (secrets, tokens) are structurally unreachable from config text. An empty value counts as unset (the reference falls through to its `:-` default). IronBee's own operational env vars never use these prefixes.
***
## Project directory resolution
When a hook or command needs to know which project it's acting on, IronBee resolves the directory in this order:
1. The client's own variable `CLAUDE_PROJECT_DIR` (Claude Code) or `CURSOR_PROJECT_DIR` (Cursor), set automatically by the host
2. `IRONBEE_PROJECT_DIR`, an explicit override you can set
3. The current working directory
You normally don't set these yourself; the AI client provides them. `IRONBEE_PROJECT_DIR` is the escape hatch for scripted or non-standard setups.
***
## Advanced
Rarely needed, mostly for internal wiring and test harnesses:
| Variable | Effect |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `IRONBEE_CLIENT` | Tells a hook runner which client it's acting as (the `--client` flag overrides it). Set by the installed hook config. |
| `IRONBEE_RUNTIME_LOCATION` | Overrides [`runtime.location`](/cli/configuration/configuration#runtime) for this process — `external` (default, per-session data under `~/.ironbee/projects//`) or `in-project` (`/.ironbee/sessions/`). Takes precedence over the config layers; mainly used by the test suite. |
| `IRONBEE_BIN` | Overrides the path to the `ironbee` binary used when spawning background workers. |
| `IRONBEE_COLLECTOR` | Set to `false` to disable Collector sends entirely (used by the test harness). |
| `IRONBEE_CURSOR_USER_DIR` | Overrides where IronBee looks for Cursor's local user data (the `state.vscdb` store) when reading [Cursor session analytics](/cli/clients/cursor#session-analytics). Defaults to Cursor's standard per-OS location; mainly for non-standard installs and tests. |
| `IRONBEE_NO_AUTO_RERENDER` | Disables the [auto re-render](/cli/guides/managing-projects#auto-re-rendering-after-an-upgrade) of registered projects after a structure-changing upgrade. A kill switch for CI and locked-down machines. |
| `CI` | When truthy (`true` / `1`), also short-circuits the upgrade auto re-render — belt-and-suspenders so a CI that allocates a pseudo-TTY can't hang on the confirmation prompt. |
***
## What's next?
The full config-key reference, the file-based equivalents of these overrides.
Where config and credentials are stored on disk.