export - cred

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# export

Export vault secrets to a `.env` file.

## Usage

    cred export <path> [OPTIONS]

## Arguments

Argument | Description
--- | ---
`<path>` | Path to write the exported file

## Options

Option | Description
--- | ---
`--force` | Overwrite the output file if it exists
`-e, --env <name>` | Export only this environment (exports full vault if omitted)
`--plain` | Plain `.env` format (no metadata, requires `--env`)

## Export Formats

### Full Vault Export (Default)

By default, `cred export` creates a rich export file containing all environments with metadata:

    cred export vault.env

Output format:

    # cred-export v1
    # exported: 2025-01-07T10:30:00Z
    #
    # To import: cred import <this-file>

    # [environment: default]

    # [API_KEY]
    # description: Development API key
    # created: 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z
    API_KEY=sk-dev-xxx

    # [DATABASE_URL]
    DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost/dev

    # [environment: prod]

    # [API_KEY]
    # description: Production API key
    # created: 2025-01-05T00:00:00Z
    API_KEY=sk-prod-xxx

This format:

- Preserves all environments
- Includes secret metadata (descriptions, timestamps)
- Can be imported by `cred import` to recreate the full vault

### Single Environment Export

Export just one environment with metadata:

    cred export prod.env --env prod

Output format:

    # cred-export v1
    # environment: prod
    # exported: 2025-01-07T10:30:00Z
    #
    # To import: cred import <this-file>

    # [API_KEY]
    # description: Production API key
    API_KEY=sk-prod-xxx

### Plain Export

Export as a standard `.env` file without metadata:

    cred export .env --env default --plain

Output format:

    API_KEY=sk-dev-xxx
    DATABASE_URL=postgres://localhost/dev

Use this when you need a standard `.env` file for tools that don’t understand cred comments.

## Examples

    # Export full vault with metadata
    cred export vault.env

    # Export only production environment
    cred export prod.env --env prod

    # Export as plain .env (no metadata)
    cred export .env --env default --plain

    # Overwrite existing file
    cred export vault.env --force

    # Preview what would be exported
    cred export vault.env --dry-run

## Output

    ✓ Exported 10 secrets (3 environment(s)) to vault.env.

For single environment:

    ✓ Exported 5 secrets (env 'prod') to prod.env.

## Use Cases

### Sharing Secrets with Teammates

Export your vault and share the file securely:

    cred export team-vault.env
    # Transfer file securely (encrypted email, secure share, etc.)

Teammate imports:

    cred import team-vault.env

### Backup

Create a backup of your entire vault:

    cred export backup-$(date +%Y%m%d).env

### Integration with Other Tools

When you need a standard `.env` for other tools:

    cred export .env --env default --plain