Stableprivatenote-cli@0.1.0

PrivateNote CLI

Zero-footprint secrets in scripts, pipes, and CI — encrypted locally before anything reaches the network.

View on npmCLI source on GitHubDeveloper walkthrough

Who this is for

Use the CLI when the secret already lives in a file, password manager, or pipeline output and you need a shareable link without pasting into chat or email.

The tool reads from stdin or a file path, encrypts with AES-256-GCM on your machine, uploads only ciphertext, and prints a URL with the decryption key in the fragment.

Notes created this way are tracked as creationSource: cli in analytics.

Install

Requires Node.js 18+. Works on macOS, Linux, and Windows.

# Run once without installing
npx privatenote-cli --expire 1h --output-url-only

# Or install globally (adds the `privatenote` command)
npm install -g privatenote-cli

# Pipe a secret in scripts
cat secret.txt | privatenote --expire 1h --output-url-only

# Local self-host / wrangler dev (HTTP API — dev only)
echo "secret" | privatenote --insecure --api-base-url http://localhost:8787 --output-url-only

Try it live

Run the same flow as the CLI in your browser: encrypt locally, upload ciphertext, print a URL with the key in the fragment.

Live demo — creates a real note on privatenote.ai. Use a throwaway secret, not production credentials.

echo 'sk-live-demo-replace-me' | npx privatenote-cli --expire 1h --output-url-only
https://privatenote.ai/note/…#…
# secret
--expire

Security architecture

Plaintext never leaves your machine unencrypted. The share URL carries the decryption key in its #fragment, which browsers and HTTP clients do not send to servers.

When stdout is not a TTY (piped or captured), the CLI refuses to print a link unless you pass --output-url-only or --force-stdout — this prevents accidental leaks into CI logs.

Encrypt locally

AES-256-GCM on your device — browser, editor, terminal, or MCP process.

Upload ciphertext

Only encrypted bytes and note metadata (expiry, burn-after-reading) reach the server.

Key in #fragment

The decryption key stays in the URL hash. Browsers do not send fragments in HTTP requests.

privatenote.ai/note/…#key

Full diagram on developer hub

  • HTTPS required for remote API origins; pass --insecure only for local http:// dev (e.g. wrangler dev on :8787).

  • PRIVATENOTE_ALLOWED_HOSTS pins API hostnames when using a custom API base URL.

  • Response shape validation and reserved note ID checks before upload.

  • Prefer redirecting output to a chmod 600 file instead of echoing URLs.

Flags and environment variables

NameDescription
--expire 15m|1h|24h|7dNote lifetime (default: 24h)
--burn / --no-burnDestroy after first view (default: burn)
--title <text>Optional title prepended to content
--jsonPrint { secureUrl, expiresAt, burnAfterReading }
--output-url-onlyURL-only output; safe for piped stdout in scripts
--force-stdoutAllow output when stdout is not a terminal (use with --json in CI)
--api-base-url <url>Override API origin (HTTPS; use with --insecure for local http://)
--insecureAllow http:// API origins — local dev only, never in production
PRIVATENOTE_API_BASE_URLDefault API base URL
PRIVATENOTE_WEB_ORIGINShare-link origin (defaults to API origin)
PRIVATENOTE_ALLOWED_HOSTSComma-separated hostname allowlist

Related integrations

VS Code, Cursor & Codex IDE

The primary developer entry point — compose, configure, and share without switching context.

View docs

MCP server for AI agents

Let agents hand off secrets securely — encryption runs locally in the MCP process.

View docs

OpenAI Codex plugin

MCP plus skills for Codex CLI and IDE — same repository as this site.

View docs

Chrome extension

Encrypt selected text in the browser without opening privatenote.ai — same client-side flow, fewer context switches.

View docs
Developer integrations

PrivateNote CLI

Zero-footprint secrets in scripts, pipes, and CI — encrypted locally before anything reaches the network.

View on npmCompare all tools