> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://praison.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Env Config Injection

> Supply the full PraisonAI CLI config from the environment — no config.yaml on disk

Supply the whole user-config layer from a single environment variable — no `config.yaml` is read or written to disk. Pairs with `PRAISONAI_AUTH_CONTENT` so one CI secret set provides auth **and** config for a stateless run.

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
graph LR
    subgraph "Zero-Disk Config"
        Env[🌱 PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT] --> Parser[🧠 Resolver]
        File[📄 PRAISONAI_CONFIG] --> Parser
        Parser --> Config[⚙️ User-config layer]
        Config --> Agent[🤖 Agent runs]
    end

    classDef input fill:#6366F1,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef process fill:#F59E0B,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef output fill:#10B981,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef agent fill:#8B0000,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff

    class Env,File input
    class Parser process
    class Config output
    class Agent agent
```

## Quick Start

<Steps>
  <Step title="Inline (YAML)">
    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
    export PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT='agent:
      model: gpt-4o-mini
    permissions:
      deny:
        - "rm -rf /"'

    praisonai run "Summarise this repo"
    ```

    ```python theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
    from praisonaiagents import Agent

    # Model + permissions come from PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT — no ~/.praisonai/config.yaml
    agent = Agent(name="assistant", instructions="Be helpful.")
    agent.start("What model am I using?")
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Inline (JSON)">
    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
    export PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT='{"agent":{"model":"gpt-4o-mini"},"mcp":{"srv":{"url":"https://mcp.example.com"}}}'
    praisonai run "List MCP tools"
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explicit path (PRAISONAI_CONFIG)">
    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
    export PRAISONAI_CONFIG=/etc/praisonai/prod.yaml
    praisonai run "Ship it"
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Auth + config in one env set (zero-disk CI)">
    ```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
    export PRAISONAI_AUTH_CONTENT='{"openai":{"api_key":"sk-...","auth_method":"apikey"}}'
    export PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT='agent:
      model: gpt-4o-mini'
    praisonai run "Run my CI task"
    # Nothing is written to ~/.praisonai — both auth and config live in memory only.
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Which one should I use?

Pick the source that matches where your config already lives.

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
graph TB
    Start{Where does<br/>the config live?} -->|In an env secret| A[PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT<br/>inline JSON/YAML]
    Start -->|On a mounted path| B[PRAISONAI_CONFIG<br/>explicit file path]
    Start -->|On disk, discovered| C[Global / project<br/>config.yaml]
    Start -->|Just one setting| D[Per-key env var<br/>PRAISONAI_MODEL, ...]

    classDef pick fill:#8B0000,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef opt fill:#6366F1,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    class Start pick
    class A,B,C,D opt
```

***

## Precedence

The env-config layer occupies the **same slot** as the discovered global/project files, so higher layers still win.

```mermaid theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
graph TB
    CLI[⚡ CLI flags] --> ENV[🌱 Per-key env vars<br/>PRAISONAI_MODEL, ...]
    ENV --> EnvBlob[📦 Env config<br/>PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT<br/>or PRAISONAI_CONFIG]
    EnvBlob --> PROJ[📁 Project config.yaml]
    PROJ --> GLOB[🏠 Global config.yaml]
    GLOB --> MANAGED[🏢 Managed defaults]
    MANAGED --> DEF[📋 Built-in defaults]

    classDef high fill:#8B0000,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef mid fill:#F59E0B,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff
    classDef low fill:#6366F1,stroke:#7C90A0,color:#fff

    class CLI,ENV high
    class EnvBlob,PROJ,GLOB mid
    class MANAGED,DEF low
```

Key rules:

* `PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT` (inline) **wins over** `PRAISONAI_CONFIG` (path) — inline replaces the path layer entirely.
* When either is set, no global/project `config.yaml` on disk is read for the user-config layer.
* Per-key env vars (`PRAISONAI_MODEL`, `OPENAI_API_BASE`, …) and CLI flags still override the env blob.
* Managed policy (`permissions`, `model_allowlist`) is still enforced on top.

<Warning>
  A valid empty mapping (`{}`) is **authoritative** — it suppresses file discovery instead of falling back. Only invalid blobs (non-mapping / unparseable) warn and fall back to discovery.
</Warning>

***

## Configuration Options

| Variable                   | Type                     | Default | Description                                                                                                                       |
| -------------------------- | ------------------------ | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT` | inline JSON or YAML blob | unset   | Parsed in memory as the user-config layer. Supports `${VAR}` / `{env:VAR}` / `{file:...}` interpolation, same as an on-disk file. |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG`         | file path                | unset   | Explicit config file loaded in place of global/project discovery. Ignored when `PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT` is set.                 |

***

## Provenance

See which layer supplied each key with the `env-config:` label.

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
praisonai config show --sources
# agent.model            env-config:env:PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT
# permissions.deny       env-config:env:PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT
```

```python theme={"theme":{"light":"vitesse-light","dark":"vitesse-dark"}}
from praisonai_code.cli.configuration.resolver import ConfigResolver

prov = ConfigResolver().resolve_with_provenance()
print(prov["agent.model"]["layer"])   # -> "env-config"
```

***

## Fallback & Warning Behaviour

| Situation                                                          | Behaviour                                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT` is not valid JSON/YAML                  | `UserWarning` (`Ignoring PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT: value is not valid JSON/YAML.`), fall back to file discovery |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT` parses to a list/scalar (not a mapping) | `UserWarning` (`value must be a mapping.`), fall back to file discovery                                         |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG_CONTENT` is `{}` (empty mapping)                 | Authoritative — file discovery is **not** re-enabled                                                            |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG` points at a missing file                        | `UserWarning`, fall back to file discovery                                                                      |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG` points at a valid but non-mapping file          | `UserWarning`, fall back to file discovery                                                                      |
| `PRAISONAI_CONFIG` points at an empty (valid-YAML) file            | Authoritative — file discovery is **not** re-enabled                                                            |

***

## Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="🔒 Treat the blob as a secret">
    It can contain provider URLs, tenant IDs, and deny rules. Inject only from a secrets manager; never commit it.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="📦 Compose with PRAISONAI_AUTH_CONTENT">
    An auth blob plus a config blob together give a true zero-disk run — nothing touches `~/.praisonai`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="🧭 Use PRAISONAI_CONFIG for mounted volumes">
    Kubernetes ConfigMaps mounted as files pair naturally with the explicit path variable.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="🧪 Verify with praisonai config show --sources">
    The `env-config:` label confirms the env layer won for each key.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="CLI Configuration" icon="gear" href="/docs/features/cli-configuration">
    The full layered precedence hierarchy.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security Environment Variables" icon="shield" href="/docs/features/security-environment-variables">
    `PRAISONAI_AUTH_CONTENT` and other security env vars.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Managed Config Layer" icon="building" href="/docs/features/managed-config">
    Org-enforced policy on top of every layer.
  </Card>

  <Card title="XDG Base Directories" icon="folder-tree" href="/docs/features/xdg-base-directories">
    Where PraisonAI writes its persistent state.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>