Credential Setup

This page covers where to get each credential ThreadLens uses. Each section links to the official provider page and notes any prerequisites or subscription requirements.

Anthropic API key

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY — enables Anthropic-backed AI scoring, analysis, clustering, and reports.

Sign in or create an account at console.anthropic.com.
Navigate to Settings → API keys or go directly to console.anthropic.com/settings/keys.
Click Create key, give it a name, and copy the key value.
Add it to your .env file:
```
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
```

Billing is usage-based. Review the Anthropic pricing page before enabling high-volume scouting.

Gemini API key

GEMINI_API_KEY — enables the Gemini-compatible provider path for AI scoring, analysis, and reports.

Sign in or create a Google account, then open Google AI Studio.
Click Create API key and select or create a Google Cloud project.
Copy the key value.
Add it to your .env file:
```
GEMINI_API_KEY=AIza...
```

GitHub Copilot CLI

copilot provider — no environment variable required. Availability is detected at runtime by binary presence.

Prerequisite: A GitHub Copilot subscription (Individual, Business, or Enterprise). See GitHub Copilot plans for options.

Install the GitHub CLI (gh) from cli.github.com or via your package manager:
Terminal window
```
# macOS
brew install gh

# Linux (apt)
sudo apt install gh
```
Authenticate the GitHub CLI:
Terminal window
```
gh auth login
```
Install the GitHub Copilot CLI extension:
Terminal window
```
gh extension install github/gh-copilot
```
Verify by running:
Terminal window
```
gh copilot --version
```

For full setup details see the GitHub Copilot in the CLI documentation.

No .env change is needed. ThreadLens detects copilot availability through the local AI bridge if running in Docker, or directly if running outside Docker.

Claude CLI

claude-cli provider — no environment variable required. Availability is detected at runtime by binary presence.

Download and install Claude Code from claude.ai/download.
Follow the installation steps for your platform.
Authenticate by running:
Terminal window
```
claude
```
The CLI will prompt you to log in with your Anthropic account on first launch.
Verify the CLI is available:
Terminal window
```
claude --version
```

For full setup details see the Claude Code documentation.

No .env change is needed. ThreadLens detects claude-cli availability through the local AI bridge if running in Docker, or directly if running outside Docker.

Opencode CLI

opencode and opencode-go providers — no environment variable required. Availability is detected at runtime by binary presence.

The free-tier opencode provider unlocks two models (big-pickle and deepseek-v4-flash-free) that run without a subscription. The subscription-backed opencode-go provider unlocks fourteen additional models including deepseek-v4-pro, minimax-m3, kimi-k2.6, and more. See the Models view in the web app for the full catalog.

Download and install Opencode from opencode.ai or via your package manager.
Authenticate by running:
Terminal window
```
opencode login
```
Follow the authentication flow that opens in your browser.
Verify the CLI is available and authenticated:
Terminal window
```
opencode --version
opencode run --model opencode/big-pickle "ping" --format json
```
A successful NDJSON response confirms both installation and authentication.

No .env change is needed. ThreadLens detects opencode and opencode-go availability through the local AI bridge if running in Docker, or directly if running outside Docker.

Bluesky credentials

BLUESKY_HANDLE and BLUESKY_APP_PASSWORD — both required to enable Bluesky scouting.

BLUESKY_HANDLE is your full Bluesky handle, for example yourname.bsky.social. It is not a secret.

BLUESKY_APP_PASSWORD is a Bluesky App Password, not your login password. App Passwords are scoped credentials that can be revoked independently.

To create an App Password:

Sign in to bsky.app.
Go to Settings → Privacy and Security → App Passwords or open bsky.app/settings/app-passwords directly.
Click Add App Password, give it a name such as threadlens, and copy the generated password.

Add both values to your .env file:

BLUESKY_HANDLE=yourname.bsky.social
BLUESKY_APP_PASSWORD=xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx

Do not use your account login password. Only App Passwords are supported, and they can be revoked from the same settings page without affecting your account.

Parallel API key

PARALLEL_API_KEY — enables Google Search scouting through the Parallel.ai search provider.

Create an account at platform.parallel.ai.
Navigate to API keys and create a new key.
Copy the key value.
Add it to your .env file:
```
PARALLEL_API_KEY=par-...
```

For API reference and search usage see docs.parallel.ai.

Safe example values

Use obviously fake values in documentation, examples, screenshots, and bug reports:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-example-not-real
GEMINI_API_KEY=gemini-example-not-real
PARALLEL_API_KEY=parallel-example-not-real
BLUESKY_HANDLE=example.bsky.social
BLUESKY_APP_PASSWORD=example-app-password-not-real

Do not commit real keys, passwords, or tokens to version control.

Environment Variables — complete variable reference
Configuration Basics — first-run setup guide
Model and Provider Configuration — provider fallback behavior
Local AI Bridge — using CLI providers through Docker