Configuration

pm-skills needs a server URL, an API key, and a project to resolve skills. Settings resolve in this order (highest wins):

1. Command-line flags (--server, --api-key, --project, …)
2. Environment variables (PM_SKILLS_*)
3. Repo file .pm-skills.json (committed)
4. User config ~/.pm-skills/config.json (credentials, chmod 600)

1. Server URL

SaaS

API base (what the CLI calls):
  https://api.promptmanager-new.elsaifoundry.ai

Console (browser):
  https://promptmanager-new.elsaifoundry.ai

On-Prem

Use your deployment’s API origin, for example:
  https://prompt-manager.example.com
  http://localhost:8005          # local only — pass --insecure

2. API key

Create a key in the Prompt Manager console: Settings → API Keys → Create key.

Keys use the elsai_… prefix. The plaintext value is shown once. The key impersonates you — the server enforces your org/project membership on every request.

export PM_SKILLS_API_KEY=elsai_xxxxxxxx

See Authentication and Prompt Manager Authentication.

3. Project binding

pm-skills init writes .pm-skills.json in the repo:

{
  "project_id": "8d9a3518-74ec-402e-8eb5-f709a0ff1244",
  "agents": ["claude", "codex"],
  "scope": "project"
}

Commit this file so teammates and CI do not need --project on every command.

WARNING

Run pm-skills init (and later pull) from inside the git repository you want to bind. The CLI writes .pm-skills.json in the current working directory.

WARNING

init requires at least one accessible project for your API key. Org membership alone is not enough — create a project in the UI or get added to one, then run pm-skills whoami and confirm Projects : N accessible.

4. User config (after login)

{
  "default": {
    "server": "https://api.promptmanager-new.elsaifoundry.ai",
    "api_key": "elsai_…"
  }
}

Written by pm-skills login to ~/.pm-skills/config.json with mode 0600.

Environment variables

Variable	Purpose
PM_SKILLS_API_KEY	API key
PM_SKILLS_SERVER	API base URL
PM_SKILLS_PROJECT	Project id
PM_SKILLS_ENV	Optional label echoed into the lockfile
PM_SKILLS_PROFILE	Named profile in user config

Profiles

pm-skills login --profile staging --server https://staging.example.com
pm-skills list --profile staging

Transport

HTTPS is required. Plain http:// is refused unless you pass --insecure (local development only).

Next

Quickstart