# Configuration

Grimoire reads its configuration from environment variables. Most settings people change day to day (registration, SMTP, retrieval thresholds, backups, forge connections) live in **Settings** in the web UI instead.

Any variable marked *secret* can also be read from a file: set `<NAME>_FILE` to the path, for example a Docker secret at `/run/secrets/grimoire_key`.

## Environment variables

### Core

| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `DATABASE_URL` *(secret)* | `postgresql+asyncpg://grimoire:grimoire@localhost:5432/grimoire` | PostgreSQL connection string, using the `asyncpg` driver |
| `SECRET_KEY` *(secret)* | `dev-secret-change-me` | Signs sessions and seals stored credentials. Set it before first use and keep it (see below) |
| `BASE_URL` | `http://localhost:5000` | Public URL, used in email links and OIDC redirects |
| `SECURE_COOKIES` | `false` | `true` when Grimoire is served over HTTPS |
| `TRUST_PROXY_HEADERS` | `false` | `true` behind a reverse proxy, to read the client IP from `X-Forwarded-For` / `X-Real-IP` |
| `LOG_LEVEL` | `INFO` | `DEBUG`, `INFO`, `WARNING` or `ERROR` |
| `LOG_RETENTION_DAYS` | `90` | Days of app logs to keep |
| `FASTEMBED_CACHE_DIR` | `/data/fastembed-cache` | Where the embedding model is stored after its first download |

### Sign-in

| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `LOCAL_AUTH_ENABLED` | `true` | `false` turns off username/password login, leaving SSO only |
| `OIDC_ISSUER` | — | OIDC issuer URL |
| `OIDC_CLIENT_ID` | — | OIDC client ID |
| `OIDC_CLIENT_SECRET` *(secret)* | — | OIDC client secret |
| `OIDC_SCOPES` | `openid profile email` | Scopes to request |

SSO turns on when the issuer, client ID and secret are all set. See [SSO / OAuth](sso-oauth.md).

### Email

Admins can set SMTP in **Settings**; these are the defaults until they do.

| Variable | Default |
|----------|---------|
| `SMTP_HOST` | — |
| `SMTP_PORT` | `587` |
| `SMTP_USERNAME` | — |
| `SMTP_PASSWORD` *(secret)* | — |
| `SMTP_FROM_ADDRESS` | — |
| `SMTP_FROM_NAME` | `Fabled Grimoire` |
| `SMTP_USE_TLS` | `true` |

### Integrations

| Variable | Default | Description |
|----------|---------|-------------|
| `PLUGIN_MARKETPLACE_URL` | this repo's git URL | The git URL shown in the plugin install command under Settings → MCP Access. An admin can override it in Settings |
| `FORGE_KIND`, `FORGE_BASE_URL`, `FORGE_TOKEN` *(secret)* | — | A git forge connection for admins' projects, so a token can live in a Docker secret. Each user can add their own under Settings → Integrations; a stored connection for the same host wins |
| `FORGE_WEBHOOK_SECRET` *(secret)* | — | Verifies push webhooks from the forge |
| `SEARXNG_URL` | — | A SearXNG instance, listed as the web-search backend under Settings → Integrations |

## Running it

### Quick start

[`docker-compose.quickstart.yml`](../docker-compose.quickstart.yml) runs the published image with its own database:

```bash
SECRET_KEY=$(python3 -c 'import secrets; print(secrets.token_hex(32))') \
  docker compose -f docker-compose.quickstart.yml up -d
```

Open `http://localhost:5000`. The first account registered becomes the admin; after that, registration stays closed until an admin opens it in Settings or sends an invite.

### From source

```bash
cp .env.example .env   # then set SECRET_KEY
docker compose up --build
```

### Docker Swarm

[`docker-compose.prod.yml`](../docker-compose.prod.yml) is a stack file: the app and database on a private overlay network, with `SECURE_COOKIES` and `TRUST_PROXY_HEADERS` on. Provide `DB_PASSWORD` and `SECRET_KEY` in the environment:

```bash
DB_PASSWORD=... SECRET_KEY=... docker stack deploy -c docker-compose.prod.yml grimoire
```

The database user, database and volume default to `grimoire`. An install created under the name Scribe keeps its data by setting `POSTGRES_USER`, `POSTGRES_DB` and `PGDATA_VOLUME` to the names it was created with.

The shipped files leave out healthchecks and restart policies on purpose. The app waits for its database on startup, and the orchestrator's defaults restart it if it ever exits.

### Volumes

- **Database** (`pgdata`): everything Grimoire stores.
- **App data** (`/data`): the embedding model cache and diagnostics. Losing it costs a re-download, nothing else.

Back up the database with **Settings → Data → Scheduled backups** ([Backups](backups.md)).

## Behind a reverse proxy

Grimoire doesn't terminate TLS. Put it behind Nginx, Traefik or Caddy, forward to port 5000, and keep port 5000 off the internet. Set `SECURE_COOKIES=true`, `TRUST_PROXY_HEADERS=true` and `BASE_URL`.

```nginx
location / {
    proxy_pass http://127.0.0.1:5000;
    proxy_set_header Host $host;
    proxy_set_header X-Real-IP $remote_addr;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-For $proxy_add_x_forwarded_for;
    proxy_set_header X-Forwarded-Proto $scheme;

    # MCP responses can stream.
    proxy_buffering off;
    proxy_read_timeout 600s;
}
```

With `TRUST_PROXY_HEADERS=true`, make sure the proxy replaces any `X-Forwarded-For` the client sends.

## Security checklist

- **Set a strong `SECRET_KEY`, and keep it.** Forge tokens and the backup destination's S3 secret are sealed under a key derived from it, so a copy of the database alone can't read them. If the key changes (say, a restore onto an instance with a different key), Settings marks those credentials and asks for them again; nothing else breaks. The app logs a warning at startup while the default key is in use, and refuses to start with it when `SECURE_COOKIES=true`.
- **`SECURE_COOKIES=true`** whenever Grimoire is served over HTTPS.
- **Registration** is open only for the first account. Invite people, or open it briefly from Settings.
- **Signing everyone else out**: changing a password ends that user's other sessions; Settings → Account has a button for it too.
- **API keys** are per user, shown once, and can be read-only. Revoke any you no longer use under Settings → MCP Access.