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API Keys Configuration

apps/docs/getting-started/api-keys.mdx

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API Keys Configuration

Task Master supports multiple AI providers through environment variables. This page lists all available API keys and their configuration requirements.

Required API Keys

Note: At least one required API key must be configured for Task Master to function.

"Required: Yes" below means "required to use that specific provider," not "required globally." You only need at least one provider configured.

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY (Recommended)

  • Provider: Anthropic Claude models
  • Format: sk-ant-api03-...
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Models: Claude 3.5 Sonnet, Claude 3 Haiku, Claude 3 Opus
  • Get Key: Anthropic Console
bash
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-api03-your-key-here"

PERPLEXITY_API_KEY (Highly Recommended for Research)

  • Provider: Perplexity AI (Research features)
  • Format: pplx-...
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Purpose: Enables research-backed task expansions and updates
  • Models: Perplexity Sonar models
  • Get Key: Perplexity API
bash
PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="pplx-your-key-here"

OPENAI_API_KEY

  • Provider: OpenAI GPT models
  • Format: sk-proj-... or sk-...
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Models: GPT-4, GPT-4 Turbo, GPT-3.5 Turbo, O1 models
  • Get Key: OpenAI Platform
bash
OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-proj-your-key-here"

GOOGLE_API_KEY

  • Provider: Google Gemini models
  • Format: Various formats
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Models: Gemini Pro, Gemini Flash, Gemini Ultra
  • Get Key: Google AI Studio
  • Alternative: Use GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS for service account (Google Vertex)
bash
GOOGLE_API_KEY="your-google-api-key-here"

GROQ_API_KEY

  • Provider: Groq (High-performance inference)
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Models: Llama models, Mixtral models (via Groq)
  • Get Key: Groq Console
bash
GROQ_API_KEY="your-groq-key-here"

OPENROUTER_API_KEY

  • Provider: OpenRouter (Multiple model access)
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Models: Access to various models through single API
  • Get Key: OpenRouter
bash
OPENROUTER_API_KEY="your-openrouter-key-here"

AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY

  • Provider: Azure OpenAI Service
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Requirements: Also requires AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT configuration
  • Models: GPT models via Azure
  • Get Key: Azure Portal
bash
AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY="your-azure-key-here"

XAI_API_KEY

  • Provider: xAI (Grok) models
  • Required: ✅ Yes
  • Models: Grok models
  • Get Key: xAI Console
bash
XAI_API_KEY="your-xai-key-here"

Optional API Keys

Note: These API keys are optional - providers will work without them or use alternative authentication methods.

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID (Bedrock)

  • Provider: AWS Bedrock
  • Required: ❌ No (uses AWS credential chain)
  • Models: Claude models via AWS Bedrock
  • Authentication: Uses AWS credential chain (profiles, IAM roles, etc.)
  • Get Key: AWS Console
bash
# Optional - AWS credential chain is preferred
AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID="your-aws-access-key"
AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY="your-aws-secret-key"

CLAUDE_CODE_API_KEY

  • Provider: Claude Code CLI
  • Required: ❌ No (uses OAuth tokens)
  • Purpose: Integration with local Claude Code CLI
  • Authentication: Uses OAuth tokens, no API key needed
bash
# Not typically needed
CLAUDE_CODE_API_KEY="not-usually-required"

GEMINI_API_KEY

  • Provider: Gemini CLI
  • Required: ❌ No (uses OAuth authentication)
  • Purpose: Integration with Gemini CLI
  • Authentication: Primarily uses OAuth via CLI, API key is optional
bash
# Optional - OAuth via CLI is preferred
GEMINI_API_KEY="your-gemini-key-here"

GROK_CLI_API_KEY

  • Provider: Grok CLI
  • Required: ❌ No (can use CLI config)
  • Purpose: Integration with Grok CLI
  • Authentication: Can use Grok CLI's own config file
bash
# Optional - CLI config is preferred
GROK_CLI_API_KEY="your-grok-cli-key"

OLLAMA_API_KEY

  • Provider: Ollama (Local/Remote)
  • Required: ❌ No (local installation doesn't need key)
  • Purpose: For remote Ollama servers that require authentication
  • Requirements: Only needed for remote servers with authentication
  • Note: Not needed for local Ollama installations
bash
# Only needed for remote Ollama servers
OLLAMA_API_KEY="your-ollama-api-key-here"

GITHUB_API_KEY

  • Provider: GitHub (Import/Export features)
  • Format: ghp_... or github_pat_...
  • Required: ❌ No (for GitHub features only)
  • Purpose: GitHub import/export features
  • Get Key: GitHub Settings
bash
GITHUB_API_KEY="ghp-your-github-key-here"

Configuration Methods

Method 1: Environment File (.env)

Create a .env file in your project root:

bash
# Copy from .env.example
cp .env.example .env

# Edit with your keys
vim .env

Method 2: System Environment Variables

bash
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key-here"
export PERPLEXITY_API_KEY="your-key-here"
# ... other keys

Method 3: MCP Server Configuration

For Claude Code integration, configure keys in .mcp.json:

json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "task-master-ai": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "task-master-ai"],
      "env": {
        "ANTHROPIC_API_KEY": "your-key-here",
        "PERPLEXITY_API_KEY": "your-key-here",
        "OPENAI_API_KEY": "your-key-here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Key Requirements

Minimum Requirements

  • At least one AI provider key is required
  • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY is recommended as the primary provider
  • PERPLEXITY_API_KEY is highly recommended for research features

Provider-Specific Requirements

  • Azure OpenAI: Requires both AZURE_OPENAI_API_KEY and AZURE_OPENAI_ENDPOINT configuration
  • Google Vertex: Requires VERTEX_PROJECT_ID and VERTEX_LOCATION environment variables
  • AWS Bedrock: Uses AWS credential chain (profiles, IAM roles, etc.) instead of API keys
  • Ollama: Only needs API key for remote servers with authentication
  • CLI Providers: Gemini CLI, Grok CLI, and Claude Code use OAuth/CLI config instead of API keys

Model Configuration

After setting up API keys, configure which models to use:

bash
# Interactive model setup
task-master models --setup

# Set specific models
task-master models --set-main claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022
task-master models --set-research perplexity-llama-3.1-sonar-large-128k-online
task-master models --set-fallback gpt-4o-mini

Security Best Practices

  1. Never commit API keys to version control
  2. Use .env files and add them to .gitignore
  3. Rotate keys regularly especially if compromised
  4. Use minimal permissions for service accounts
  5. Monitor usage to detect unauthorized access

Troubleshooting

Key Validation

bash
# Check if keys are properly configured
task-master models

# Test specific provider
task-master add-task --prompt="test task" --model=claude-3-5-sonnet-20241022

Common Issues

  • Invalid key format: Check the expected format for each provider
  • Insufficient permissions: Ensure keys have necessary API access
  • Rate limits: Some providers have usage limits
  • Regional restrictions: Some models may not be available in all regions

Getting Help

If you encounter issues with API key configuration: