latchkey

Name: latchkey Review
Item: latchkey
Rating: 3.2
Author: Aaron Matthews

Skill Development Usable

Works inClaude Code

Usable Scanned — metadata only

Reduces manual credential management overhead and eliminates plaintext secret exposure in curl commands, improving both developer velocity and security postu…

A command-line tool from Imbue that injects stored API credentials into curl requests, so AI agents can call HTTP APIs (Slack, GitHub, Linear, Google Workspace, and other supported services) without ever seeing your secrets. You store credentials once with 'latchkey auth set' or a browser login flow; the agent then uses standard curl syntax via 'latchkey curl'. Integrates with Detent for fine-grained HTTP permissions.

Automate API testing by injecting stored credentials into curl commands without hardcoding secrets.
Generate authenticated requests to public APIs from your terminal without manual credential setup.
Secure API calls by managing credentials centrally instead of copying them into scripts.

123 starsMIT (commercial OK)FreeQuick setup

Usable rating — This tool is functional but has notable gaps. Review the evaluation notes below before deploying.

Why it matters

Reduces manual credential management overhead and eliminates plaintext secret exposure in curl commands, improving both developer velocity and security posture for API testing workflows.

Best for

Platform engineers and DevOps teams automating API integration testing and local development against third-party services.

Works in

Claude Code Claude Cowork Claude Chat

Source

https://github.com/imbue-ai/latchkey

By imbue-ai

How to Get It

Option 1: Claude Desktop App (Code Mode)Click the + button next to the prompt box → Plugins → Add plugin. Search and click Install. Skills work in Claude Code only.

Option 2: Paste into Claude CodeCopy the command below and paste it into your conversation. Claude will install it.

Command

npm install -g latchkey

Tip: Paste this into a Claude Code conversation. Verify command matches your Claude Code version.

First thing to try

After installing, paste this into Claude:

Help me automate API testing by injecting stored credentials into curl commands without hardcoding secrets

Prerequisitescurl, Node.js, and npm in reasonably recent versions; a graphical environment if you use 'latchkey auth browser' (run 'latchkey ensure-browser' to set up Chrome/Chromium/Edge or download Chromium via Playwright).CostFree

Trust Signals Auto-scanned

Stars123Contributors13Last updated2026-08-14LicenseMIT (OK for commercial use)Known CVEsNone foundSources: GitHub Advisory Database + OSV.dev · Scanned 2026-08-18 · scanner v1

Community Pulse Active

Discussed on Hacker News, Reddit

how many of us were actual “latchkey” kids? — Reddit · 5175 pts
As a Latchkey Kid this delight from Swanson fed me, many a times after school, w — Reddit · 2026 pts
Latchkey Kids — Reddit · 1937 pts

3 mentions across 1 sources

Reviewer notes

Auto-scanned review. These are observations, not a security certification.

catalog_hygiene stale-eval refresh: Scored from trust signals (evidence-eval-v1): 123 GitHub stars; 13 contributors; last commit 4d ago; license MIT.

Things to check

The README's own warning: giving AI agents access to your API credentials is potentially dangerous — agents authenticate as you and can perform most actions you can, especially with 'auth browser'. Only some services support the browser login flow. Not hands-on tested by us.

How to evaluate tools before deploying →

Data shown here comes from public APIs and automated scanning. Reviewer notes reflect one person's experience. This is not a security certification or legal recommendation. Always evaluate tools according to your own organization's policies.

Evaluation Scores

Evaluation

Ease of Use

3/5

Versatility

3/5

Reliability

4/5

Security

3/5

Overall score3.25 / 5.00 UsableEvaluatedAug 2026

catalog_hygiene stale-eval refresh: Scored from trust signals (evidence-eval-v1): 123 GitHub stars; 13 contributors; last commit 4d ago; license MIT.

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