Variables and secrets
Path: /settings → Variables tab
Team variables are key/value pairs you reference from agent instructions and tool code. They externalise configuration (URLs, flags) and credentials (API keys, tokens, passwords) so nothing is hardcoded.
Plan availability
Team variables are available on custom subscriptions only. On standard self-serve tiers (Starter, Business), AI providers are platform-managed: the Variables tab is hidden and variable create/update/delete requests are rejected. Platform-managed default secrets (see below) keep working on every tier — flows that reference {{team.openaiDefaultKey}} or {{team.azureDefaultKey}} are unaffected.
Secret values are never shown on any plan: SECRET variables live in AWS Secrets Manager and the UI/API only ever return a masked placeholder.
Variable types
| Type | Stored in | Visible in UI | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| PLAIN_TEXT | Postgres | Yes | URLs, environment names, feature toggles, non-sensitive config. |
| SECRET | Team's AWS Secrets Manager | No (masked after save) | API keys, passwords, tokens, credentials. |
SECRETs require Secrets Manager to be configured in the Team tab.
Platform-managed defaults
On team creation, the platform may provision superuser-managed SECRET variables (openaiDefaultKey, and on higher tiers azureDefaultKey) by copying from platform secrets. These rows are hidden from team admins on this tab; SUPERUSERs can view and override them. Flow templates reference them as {{team.openaiDefaultKey}} and {{team.azureDefaultKey}}.
Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Key | Yes | Variable name (e.g. API_URL, OPENAI_KEY). Unique per team. |
| Type | Yes | PLAIN_TEXT or SECRET. |
| Value | Conditional | Required for PLAIN_TEXT; entered (and hidden after save) for SECRET. |
| Description | No | Optional notes. |
Using variables in agents
Variables are referenced from agent instructions and tool code. TelPhi resolves references and injects the actual value at runtime. Changing a variable affects every agent referencing it on the next sync.
Workflows
Create a PLAIN_TEXT variable
- Click Create.
- Enter Key and Value (and optional Description).
- Select type
PLAIN_TEXT. - Save.
Create a SECRET variable
- Ensure Secrets Manager is configured (Team tab).
- Click Create, enter Key, select
SECRET, enter Value. - Save. Value is stored in AWS Secrets Manager and masked in the UI.
Update a secret value
Use Set Secret on the row, enter the new value, save. The previous value is overwritten in AWS Secrets Manager.
Delete a variable
Use the delete action. For SECRETs, the entry is also removed from Secrets Manager.
See also
- Team default secrets — platform-managed variables and WebRTC keys.
- Team overview — Secrets Manager configuration.
- Flow Designer → Variable Catalogue — where variables are referenced.