Keep Secrets Out of Context
AGENT-KEEP-SECRETS-OUT-OF-CONTEXT
Summary
Avoid putting real credentials or sensitive values into prompts, docs, logs, and tests. Keeping secrets out of context reduces leakage through retained, repeated, or committed text.
Rule
Keep secrets out of context.
Why
Secrets pasted into prompts, docs, logs, or test output can be retained, repeated, or committed accidentally. Agents should use credential mechanisms without seeing or restating secret values unless the task explicitly requires secret handling.
Helps
- Reduces credential leakage and keeps shared artifacts safe to publish.
Limits
Some tasks must reason about secret shapes, scopes, or redaction behavior. Use placeholders, scoped test credentials, or secret managers rather than real sensitive values.
Agent Instruction
Keep secrets out of context because secrets pasted into prompts, docs, logs, or test output can be
retained, repeated, or committed accidentally.Mechanisms
Supported by environment variables, secret managers, redaction checks, ignored local config, test fixtures with fake values, and review for accidental secret exposure.