> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.visdom.virtuslab.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.visdom.virtuslab.com/visdom-control-plane/user-guide/secrets.md).

# Secrets

Storing credentials the products need, without anyone reading them back.

A secret is a named value encrypted with AES-256-GCM under the installation's master key. It belongs to the workspace or to one project.

* **Workspace secrets** are written by admins.
* **Project secrets** are written by admins and by the project's Control Plane Operator.
* Anyone with the Control Plane Viewer role sees the metadata: name, scope, who created it, when it changed.

Values are write-only. You can create a secret, replace its value or delete it; no one, including an admin, can read the value back through the UI or the API. The one exception is the project's repository token, which the products receive over a machine-only endpoint because they need it to reach the code.

The storage option **External secret manager** is shown as coming soon. Until it ships, the master key (`CP_SECRETS_MASTER_KEY`) is the root of trust: back it up with the database, because a lost key makes every stored value unreadable.


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