gh-secret-set
Create or update GitHub Actions encrypted secrets
TLDR
Set secret interactively
$ gh secret set [SECRET_NAME]
Set secret from value$ echo "[value]" | gh secret set [SECRET_NAME]
Set from file$ gh secret set [SECRET_NAME] < [secret.txt]
Set environment secret$ gh secret set [SECRET_NAME] --env [production]
Set with body flag$ gh secret set [SECRET_NAME] --body "[value]"
SYNOPSIS
gh secret set name [options]
DESCRIPTION
gh secret set creates or updates encrypted secrets for GitHub Actions. When run interactively, it prompts for the secret value securely without echoing to the terminal.
The command encrypts secrets using repository or organization public keys before transmission. Secrets can be scoped to specific environments for deployment workflows or to selected repositories in organizations. Pipe or redirect input to avoid exposing secrets in shell history.
PARAMETERS
NAME
Secret name.--body VALUE
Secret value (avoid for sensitive data).--env ENVIRONMENT
Target deployment environment.--org ORGNAME
Set organization secret.--repos REPOS
Limit to specific repositories.--visibility SCOPE
Secret visibility scope.--help
Display help information.
CAVEATS
Avoid --body for sensitive values (visible in history). Secrets encrypted in transit. Organization secrets need admin permissions.
HISTORY
gh secret set is part of the GitHub CLI's secret management commands, providing secure secret configuration for CI/CD workflows.
