> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.interactive.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.interactive.ai/agents/reference/environment.md).

# Environment variables

> **Context** — The platform sets two kinds of environment configuration on the agent at deploy time: **manifest env-refs** (the `${VAR}` placeholders your manifest declares — names are yours to choose) and **operator variables** (fixed names that tune runtime behaviour). Generated from the runtime source of truth for version `0.8.1` (manifest schema 6.1.1).

## Manifest env-refs (secrets)

Every credential-bearing manifest field takes a `${VAR_NAME}` reference; the platform supplies the value from the secret bundle your manifest declares (see [Deploying](/agents/guides/deploying.md)). **Required** fields abort boot when the variable is unset (the error names it); optional fields resolve to unset. Webhook secrets are re-read per request (rotation without restart) — all others resolve once at boot.

| Manifest field                                  | Required           | Purpose                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `agent_config.database.password`                | when block present | `${VAR}` env-ref for the Postgres password.                                                                                                                                                                  |
| `agent_config.interactive_platform.public_key`  | yes                | `${VAR}` env-ref for the InteractiveAI public key.                                                                                                                                                           |
| `agent_config.interactive_platform.secret_key`  | yes                | `${VAR}` env-ref for the InteractiveAI secret key.                                                                                                                                                           |
| `agent_config.llms.api_key`                     | yes                | `${VAR}` env-ref for the InteractiveAI LLM router API key.                                                                                                                                                   |
| `agent_config.mcps[].api_key`                   | no                 | `${VAR}` env-ref for the MCP server's API key. Sent as `Authorization: Bearer`. Omit when the server doesn't require auth.                                                                                   |
| `agent_config.runtime.api_key`                  | yes                | Shared bearer token. The agent verifies inbound `Authorization: Bearer` headers against it and sends the same header on autonomous-routine webhook callbacks. `${VAR}` env-ref; literal values are rejected. |
| `agent_config.search (type: external).api_key`  | no                 | `${VAR}` env-ref for the endpoint API key. Sent as `Authorization: Bearer`. Omit when the endpoint requires no auth.                                                                                         |
| `agent_config.search (type: pgvector).password` | when block present | `${VAR}` env-ref for the Postgres password.                                                                                                                                                                  |
| `agent_config.traces.backend.api_key`           | no                 | `${VAR}` env-ref for the traces backend API key. Sent per `api_key_scheme`. Omit for endpoints that don't require auth.                                                                                      |
| `agent_config.webhooks[].secret_env`            | when block present | `${VAR}` env-ref for the HMAC shared secret. Re-read per request, so rotation picks up without restart.                                                                                                      |

Conventional variable names (`AGENT_API_KEY`, `ROUTER_API_KEY`, `INTERACTIVEAI_PUBLIC_KEY`, `INTERACTIVEAI_SECRET_KEY`, `DB_PASSWORD`, `KB_PG_PASSWORD`, …) are just convention — the manifest is the source of truth for which names it references.

## Operator variables

Fixed-name knobs that tune runtime behaviour, set by the platform or operator at deploy time. All optional.

| Variable                             | Default  | Purpose                                                                                                                                                               |
| ------------------------------------ | -------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `ROUTER_MAX_TOKENS`                  | `100000` | Token ceiling per LLM-router call (context window cap).                                                                                                               |
| `AUTONOMOUS_DEFAULT_TIMEOUT_SECONDS` | `120`    | Per-run timeout for autonomous routines that don't declare their own timeout\_seconds.                                                                                |
| `AUTONOMOUS_MAX_TIMEOUT_SECONDS`     | `600`    | Hard cap on any autonomous routine's timeout\_seconds — routine-declared values above this are clamped.                                                               |
| `AUTONOMOUS_CALLBACK_MAX_RETRIES`    | `5`      | Delivery attempts (with backoff) for autonomous callbacks and event webhooks before giving up.                                                                        |
| `EVAL_NODE_PARALLELISM`              | `50`     | Concurrent per-step model calls during boot-time routine evaluation. 1 = fully sequential (debugging); higher = faster cold boots, bounded by the router rate budget. |
| `LLM_PROVIDER_ORDER`                 | unset    | Comma-separated provider slugs pinning which upstream providers serve chat-lane models (strict, ordered; no fallback to unlisted providers). Unset = no pin.          |

## Fixed runtime facts (not configurable via env)

* HTTP listen port: `8080`.
* Startup failures exit the process non-zero within `10` seconds.
* Model ids are manifest-only (`agent_config.llms.*`) — there is no env-var override. See [Models](/agents/concepts/models.md).


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.interactive.ai/agents/reference/environment.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.