Skip to main content
Secrets are encrypted variables you can store in Cortex for your workspace environment. They can be accessed for use in various Cortex features, such as:
  • Plugin proxies, to allow secure authenticated access to various third-party APIs.
  • Workflows, when configuring an HTTP Request action.
Secrets are securely encrypted and stored in Cortex’s database, and the secret values are not accessible via public or private APIs once saved.

​
Accessing secrets

Secrets can only be accessed programmatically through features in Cortex. Secrets are generally referenced by configuration of the relevant feature through a templated string that uses Mustache-like syntax to reference the secret by tag. For instance, a plugin proxy header can reference a secret similar to the following example:

​
Managing secrets

​
Create a secret

Secrets can be created in the Cortex UI or via the Cortex API. Your user or API token must have the Create secrets permission.
For convenience, secrets can be optionally named in a human-friendly manner. For programmatic access, secrets must have a unique tag that contains only alphanumeric characters and dashes.To create a secret:
  1. Go to Settings > Secrets then click Add secret.
  2. In the modal, configure your secret:
  • Name: Enter a user-friendly name.
  • Identifier: Enter a unique identifier for the secret, made of letters, digits, and underscores.
    • Note that tags cannot be edited after they are created.
  • Secret value: Enter your secret value.
    • This is usually the value of an API token or some other value from a third-party integration.
  1. Click Add secret.
It is possible to create, read, update, and delete secrets via the Cortex API. See the API documentation for more information.

​
Edit secrets in the Cortex UI

You must have the Create secrets permission to edit secrets. To edit a secret:
  1. Go to Settings > Secrets then click the pencil icon next to the secret you want to edit.
  2. In the modal, edit the secret name.
    • We recommend creating a user-friendly name for the secret.
  3. Click Save.
Last modified on September 25, 2026