Secret Vertex

Secrets deserve vertices too.

Store sensitive values, temporary credentials, setup codes, API keys, recovery tokens, and one-time handoff secrets behind Node Vertex policy, TTL, audit, and authentication controls.

Create a Secret VertexView CLI examples
Secret value
    ↓
Secret Vertex
    ↓
Passkey / tenant login / certificate / token policy
    ↓
TTL, audit, read limits, and revocation
    ↓
Authorized consumer reads the secret
https://nodevertex.com/acme/secrets/api-key https://nodevertex.com/acme/setup/bootstrap-token

Stop pasting secrets into chat.

Teams still move secrets through Slack, email, screenshots, cloud notes, shared docs, and shell history. A Secret Vertex gives sensitive values a governed address instead. The value can expire, require authentication, be audited, and be disabled instantly.

Every workflow starts with a vertex. Sensitive workflows should start with a Secret Vertex.

What can become a Secret Vertex?

  • API keys and restricted provider keys
  • Temporary setup tokens
  • One-time onboarding codes
  • Database connection strings
  • Recovery values and bootstrap credentials
  • Agent enrollment secrets
  • IoT provisioning values
  • Short-lived customer or support handoff secrets

Built-in controls

  • TTL expiration
  • Tenant-user or passkey authentication
  • Client certificate and signed token options
  • Read logging and audit history
  • Read-once / burn-after-read patterns
  • Disabled, tombstoned, or stealth 404 behavior
  • Vertex Firewall conditions

Secret Vertex is not a pastebin.

A pastebin holds text. A Secret Vertex is a policy-governed secret handoff point inside the Node Vertex signaling fabric. It can participate in polygons, trigger listeners, unlock setup workflows, and expire automatically.

Temporary by default

Use TTLs for short-lived setup values and remove stale credentials automatically.

Policy first

Choose public, tenant user, passkey, certificate, bearer token, signed token, or other Vertex Firewall conditions.

Workflow ready

Secret vertices can support onboarding polygons, agent enrollment, integration setup, and secure handoffs.

Create secrets from the CLI

nv create secrets/api-key "$API_KEY" --type secret -ttl 10m
nv create setup/bootstrap "$TOKEN" --type secret --access tenantuser --ttl 1h
nv create agent/enroll-token "$TOKEN" --secret --read-once --ttl 5m

Create secrets in the control plane

Open Dashboard → Create Vertex, select Secret, choose the authentication model, set a TTL, and create the vertex.

Type: Secret
Auth: Passkey
TTL: 10m
Value: ********

Secret Vertex in a polygon

Developer requests setup access
    ↓
Secret Vertex created with TTL
    ↓
Passkey authentication required
    ↓
Authorized user reads once
    ↓
Listener records audit and disables the vertex

Secure handoffs should be addressable.

Put the secret at a vertex. Protect it. Expire it. Audit it.

Create a Secret Vertex