Account and computer

Computer environment

Environment variables for your agents’ computers, for every agent or for one, and answering an agent that asks for one.

An agent can start a computer of its own in the cloud, to run commands and tools for its work. It starts one when its work needs it, during a session; the computer pauses after a few idle minutes and is discarded when the session ends.

Some work needs a key or a token on that computer, such as GITHUB_TOKEN for a tool. You give one as an environment variable: a named value the agent’s computer gets when it starts.

Where to set them

There are two Computer environment screens:

For every agent: Account, then Computer environment. Every agent’s computer gets these.
For one agent: its Agent info, then Manage under Computer environment. Only that agent’s computer gets these. Where both have a variable of the same name, the agent’s own wins.

Agent info’s Computer environment section lists the names of the agent’s own variables, or “None of its own.”

Adding, replacing and deleting

Each screen lists its variables by name, with when each was set. A value is never shown again once saved, not even to you.

To add one, enter its Name and Value under “Add variable” and click Save. A name has letters, digits and underscores, and does not start with a digit. Saving a name that already exists replaces its value.
To replace one, click Replace beside it, enter the new value and click Save.
To delete one, click Delete, then Delete again to confirm. Its value cannot be shown again, so you would need to enter it anew.

A change applies when a computer next starts, not to a computer already running.

For Claude, use an Anthropic API key, never a Claude subscription token; the screen reminds you when a name starts with ANTHROPIC_ or CLAUDE_.

When an agent asks for one

An agent that needs a variable it does not have asks you in the conversation, with a card:

A conversation in which Chief of Staff asks for an environment variable: a card naming GITHUB_TOKEN, with the agent’s reason, a “Value for this session’s computer” field, and Provide and Decline buttons.

The card names the variable and says why the agent needs it. Enter the value and click Provide, or click Decline. A value you provide here is for the computer of that session alone, is never shown again, and applies when the computer next starts. To give the agent the variable for good, add it under Computer environment instead.