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>/<item-identifier>/<field-name>

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:

Collects environment variables from current process and .env files
Scans for pass:// URIs in variable values
Resolves secrets from Proton Pass
Replaces URIs with actual secret values
Masks secrets in output (unless --no-masking)
Executes command with resolved environment
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: <concealed by Proton Pass>

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:

Reads template from --in-file or stdin
Finds {{ pass://vault/item/field }} patterns
Resolves secrets from Proton Pass
Replaces references with actual values
Outputs to --out-file or stdout
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

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:

Check vault access: pass-cli vault list
Verify item exists: pass-cli item list --share-id
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 → 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

Proton Pass CLIv1.1.0

Install & Quick Start

Proton Pass CLI

Installation

Quick install

Homebrew (macOS)

Verify installation

Authentication

Web login (recommended)

Interactive login

Environment variables for automation

Verify session

Logout

Vault Management

List vaults

Create vault

Update vault

Delete vault

Share vault

Manage vault members

Transfer vault ownership

Item Management

List items

View item

Create login item

Login template

Create SSH key items

Generate new SSH key

Import existing SSH key

Create email alias

Update item

Delete item

Share item

Generate TOTP codes

Password Generation & Analysis

Generate passwords

Analyze password strength

SSH Agent Integration

Load SSH keys into existing agent

Run Proton Pass CLI as SSH agent

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

Troubleshooting SSH

ssh-copy-id fails with many keys

Pass URI Syntax (Secret References)

Syntax

Examples

Common fields

Rules

Secret Injection

Run commands with secrets (run)

Basic usage

Using .env files

Multiple secrets in single value

Secret masking

Running with arguments

CI/CD integration

Inject secrets into templates (inject)

Template syntax

Inject to stdout

Inject to file

Read from stdin

Custom file permissions

JSON template example

Settings Management

View settings

Set default vault

Set default output format

Unset defaults

Share Management

List all shares

Invitation Management

List pending invitations

Accept invitation

Reject invitation

User & Session Info

View session info

View detailed user info

Test connection

Updates

Update to latest version

Run commands with secrets (`run`)

Inject secrets into templates (`inject`)