CLI configuration

The CLI resolves each setting in order: command flags, then environment variables, then ~/.cantila/config.json, then built-in defaults. Nothing is written to disk until you run cantila config set.

The config file

Settings live in ~/.cantila/config.json:

{
  "controlPlaneUrl": "https://api.cantila.app",
  "accountId": "acc_abc123",
  "apiKey": "ck_live_...",
  "actAs": "client-handle"
}

Key	Purpose
`controlPlaneUrl`	Base URL of the control plane the CLI talks to.
`accountId`	The account new keys, projects and other resources are created under.
`apiKey`	Your API key. Authenticates every request.
`actAs`	A persisted sub-account handle the CLI impersonates on every call (white-label). Set it with `cantila accounts sub act-as`, not `config set`.

Inspect the current config — the file path, control-plane URL, account id, and whether a key is set (the key itself is never printed):

cantila config

cantila config set

Write a value to the config file:

cantila config set apiKey=ck_live_...
cantila config set accountId=acc_abc123
cantila config set controlPlaneUrl=https://api.cantila.app

cantila config set only accepts controlPlaneUrl, accountId and apiKey. The actAs default is managed separately via cantila accounts sub act-as <handle> (and --clear to remove it).

Environment-variable overrides

Every config value has an environment override. When set, the env var wins over the file — useful in CI, where you would rather not write a key to disk.

Variable	Overrides
`CANTILA_CONTROL_PLANE_URL`	`controlPlaneUrl`
`CANTILA_ACCOUNT_ID`	`accountId`
`CANTILA_API_KEY`	`apiKey`
`CANTILA_ACT_AS`	`actAs`

export CANTILA_API_KEY=ck_live_...
export CANTILA_ACCOUNT_ID=acc_abc123
cantila projects

Pointing at a different control plane

Override the control-plane URL to target a local or self-hosted instance:

# persist it
cantila config set controlPlaneUrl=http://localhost:8080

# or just for this shell
export CANTILA_CONTROL_PLANE_URL=http://localhost:8080

The --as sub-account flag

--as <handle> is a global flag, available on every command. It scopes a single call to one of your sub-accounts (white-label impersonation) without changing any saved default:

cantila projects --as client-acme
cantila deploy prj_abc123 --as client-acme

If you have a persisted actAs default (set via cantila accounts sub act-as or CANTILA_ACT_AS), --as <handle> overrides it for that one command. Pass an empty value to suppress the saved default for a single call:

cantila projects --as ''

Where to next

Get started with the CLI — install and ship your first deploy.
Command reference — every command, grouped by area.