---
layout: docs
page_title: Generate a development configuration file
description: >-
  Use the Vault CLI to create a basic development configuration file to run
  Vault Agent in process supervisor mode.
---

> [!IMPORTANT]  
> **Documentation Update:** Product documentation, which were located in this repository under `/website`, are now located in [`hashicorp/web-unified-docs`](https://github.com/hashicorp/web-unified-docs), colocated with all other product documentation. Contributions to this content should be done in the `web-unified-docs` repo, and not this one. Changes made to `/website` content in this repo will not be reflected on the developer.hashicorp.com website.

# Generate a Vault Agent development configuration file

Use the Vault CLI to create a basic development configuration file to run Vault
Agent in process supervisor mode.

Development configuration files include an `auto_auth` section that reference a
token file based on the Vault token used to authenticate the CLI command. Token
files are convenient for local testing but **are not** appropriate for in
production. **Always use a robust
[auto-authentication method](/vault/docs/agent-and-proxy/autoauth/methods) in
production**.

<Tip title="Assumptions">

- You have [set up a `kv` v2 plugin](/vault/docs/secrets/kv/kv-v2/setup).
- Your authentication token has `read` permissions for the `kv` v2 plugin.

</Tip>

Use [`vault agent generate-config`](/vault/docs/commands/agent/generate-config)
to create a development configuration file with environment variable templates:

```shell-session
$ vault agent generate-config
    -type "env-template"                                \
    -exec "<path_to_child_process> <list_of_arguments>" \
    -namespace "<plugin_namespace>"                     \
    -path "<mount_path_to_kv_plugin_1>"                 \
    -path "<mount_path_to_kv_plugin_2>"                 \
    ...
    -path "<mount_path_to_kv_plugin_N>"                 \
    <config_file_name>
```

For example:

<CodeBlockConfig hideClipboard>

```shell-session
$ vault agent generate-config             \
         -type="env-template"             \
         -exec="./payment-app 'wf-test'"  \
         -namespace="testing"             \
         -path="shared/dev/*"             \
         -path="private/ci/integration"   \
         agent-config.hcl

Successfully generated "agent-config.hcl" configuration file!
Warning: the generated file uses 'token_file' authentication method, which is not suitable for production environments.
```

</CodeBlockConfig>

The configuration file includes `env_template` entries for each key stored at
the explicit paths and any key encountered while recursing through paths ending
with `/*`. Template keys have the form `<final_path_segment>_<key_name>`.

For example:

<CodeBlockConfig highlight="7,22,26,30,34,38,42">

```hcl
auto_auth {

  method {
    type = "token_file"

    config {
      token_file_path = "/home/<username>/.vault-token"
    }
  }
}

template_config {
  static_secret_render_interval = "5m"
  exit_on_retry_failure         = true
  max_connections_per_host      = 10
}

vault {
  address = "http://192.168.0.1:8200"
}

env_template "SQUARE_API_PROD" {
  contents             = "{{ with secret \"shared/data/dev/square-api\" }}{{ .Data.data.prod }}{{ end }}"
  error_on_missing_key = true
}
env_template "SQUARE_API_SANDBOX" {
  contents             = "{{ with secret \"shared/data/dev/square-api\" }}{{ .Data.data.sandbox }}{{ end }}"
  error_on_missing_key = true
}
env_template "SQUARE_API_SMOKE" {
  contents             = "{{ with secret \"shared/data/dev/square-api\" }}{{ .Data.data.smoke }}{{ end }}"
  error_on_missing_key = true
}
env_template "SEEDS_SEED1" {
  contents             = "{{ with secret \"shared/data/dev/seeds\" }}{{ .Data.data.seed1 }}{{ end }}"
  error_on_missing_key = true
}
env_template "SEEDS_SEED2" {
  contents             = "{{ with secret \"shared/data/dev/seeds\" }}{{ .Data.data.seed2 }}{{ end }}"
  error_on_missing_key = true
}
env_template "DEV_POSTMAN" {
  contents             = "{{ with secret \"private/data/ci/integration\" }}{{ .Data.data.postman }}{{ end }}"
  error_on_missing_key = true
}

exec {
  command                   = ["./payment-app", "'wf-test'"]
  restart_on_secret_changes = "always"
  restart_stop_signal       = "SIGTERM"
}
```

</CodeBlockConfig>