PrivateNote CLI
Zero-footprint secrets in scripts, pipes, and CI — encrypted locally before anything reaches the network.
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-onlyhttps://privatenote.ai/note/…#…
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
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
| Name | Description |
|---|---|
| --expire 15m|1h|24h|7d | Note lifetime (default: 24h) |
| --burn / --no-burn | Destroy after first view (default: burn) |
| --title <text> | Optional title prepended to content |
| --json | Print { secureUrl, expiresAt, burnAfterReading } |
| --output-url-only | URL-only output; safe for piped stdout in scripts |
| --force-stdout | Allow 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://) |
| --insecure | Allow http:// API origins — local dev only, never in production |
| PRIVATENOTE_API_BASE_URL | Default API base URL |
| PRIVATENOTE_WEB_ORIGIN | Share-link origin (defaults to API origin) |
| PRIVATENOTE_ALLOWED_HOSTS | Comma-separated hostname allowlist |
Related integrations
Editor extension
Create notes from VS Code, Cursor, or Codex IDE without switching context. Use the sidebar, a selected-text command, or the title-bar action.
View docsMCP server
Give an MCP client a preview-and-confirm flow that encrypts a local file after you approve the exact bytes.
View docsCodex plugin
Install the bundled plugin for MCP plus skills, or add privatenote-mcp to ~/.codex/config.toml. Use the same VS Code extension in the Codex IDE for secrets the agent never sees.
View docsChrome extension
Encrypt selected text from any tab via context menu, toolbar popup, or keyboard shortcut — without opening the site first.
View docsPrivateNote CLI
Zero-footprint secrets in scripts, pipes, and CI — encrypted locally before anything reaches the network.
