> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.ishlabs.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environment variables

> Every ISH_* environment variable the ish CLI reads, with defaults and precedence.

The ish CLI reads configuration from environment variables. Every one is optional: unset, the CLI uses the default in each table. Most have an equivalent flag that takes precedence when both are set.

<Note>
  Flags beat environment variables beat saved config. For the full token resolution order and the global flags themselves, see [auth](/cli/auth) and [global flags](/cli/global-flags).
</Note>

## Auth

<ParamField path="ISH_TOKEN" type="string">
  Auth token presented as `Authorization: Bearer`. Sits third in the resolution order: `--token` > `--token-file` > `ISH_TOKEN` > saved OAuth login (`~/.ish/config.json`) > legacy saved token. Use it for CI and other non-interactive runs.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_ASSUME_YES" type="string">
  Pre-authorize the confirmation gate for the whole session. Mirrors `--yes` exactly and applies to billable verbs (`study run`, `study analyze`, `ask run`, and the like) and destructive deletes. Truthy values: `1`, `true`, `yes`, `on`. Never persisted to config. Default: unset (gate active).
</ParamField>

## Active context

When a command needs a workspace, study, ask, or chat endpoint and you do not pass it, the CLI falls back to these env vars, then to the active context saved by `ish <noun> use`. The explicit flag or positional argument always wins. Each accepts an id or an alias (for example `w-`, `s-`).

<ParamField path="ISH_WORKSPACE" type="string">
  Default [workspace](/concepts/workspace). Overridden by `--workspace` and by the saved active workspace order described above. See [study](/concepts/study) and [run vs ask](/concepts/run-vs-ask) for how context flows through commands.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_STUDY" type="string">
  Default [study](/concepts/study). Overridden by `--study`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_ASK" type="string">
  Default ask. Overridden by the positional ask id.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_CHAT_ENDPOINT" type="string">
  Default chat endpoint id. Overridden by the positional id or `--endpoint`.
</ParamField>

## Endpoints

<ParamField path="ISH_API_URL" type="string" default="https://api.ishlabs.io">
  Backend API base URL. The internal `--api-url` flag takes precedence; `--dev` forces `http://localhost:8000` and overrides both.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_APP_URL" type="string" default="https://app.ishlabs.io">
  Web app base URL used to compose the links the CLI prints (for example the `url` returned by `ish study run`). Set it for a staging or self-hosted UI. Under `--dev` the base is `http://localhost:3000`.
</ParamField>

## Paths

<ParamField path="ISH_HOME" type="string" default="~/.ish">
  Config directory root. Holds `config.json` (saved login, active context), `aliases.json`, downloaded binaries, and logs. Set it to relocate ish state, mirroring `GH_CONFIG_DIR` / `AWS_CONFIG_FILE`.
</ParamField>

## Dev login overrides

These point `ish login` at a non-production Supabase project. Set both together. Equivalent to `--dev`, which targets the built-in dev project.

<ParamField path="ISH_SUPABASE_URL" type="string">
  Supabase project URL used to mint the login session. Default: the production project.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY" type="string">
  Supabase publishable (anon) key matching `ISH_SUPABASE_URL`.
</ParamField>

## Output and observability

<ParamField path="NO_COLOR" type="string">
  Disable colored output. Equivalent to `--no-color`. Honors the [NO\_COLOR convention](https://no-color.org).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="FORCE_COLOR" type="string">
  Force colored output even when stdout is not a TTY. `0` or `false` disables; any other non-empty value enables. NO\_COLOR wins when both are set.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_CLI_SENTRY_DSN" type="string">
  Opt in to Sentry error and trace reporting by setting a DSN. Unset, the CLI runs untraced. Default: unset.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_DEBUG_OBS" type="string">
  Print observability init failures to stderr. Diagnostic only. Default: unset (silent).
</ParamField>

## Installer

Read by the `install.sh` and `install.ps1` scripts, not by the `ish` binary itself.

<ParamField path="ISH_INSTALL_DIR" type="string">
  Install directory for the `ish` binary. Default: `$HOME/.ish/bin` (`%USERPROFILE%\.ish\bin` on Windows).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_VERSION" type="string">
  PowerShell `install.ps1` only. Pin a specific version to install. Default: the latest release. On POSIX `install.sh`, pin a version with the `--version=<v>` argument instead, for example `curl -fsSL https://ishlabs.io/install.sh | sh -s -- --version=1.2.3`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_NO_PATH" type="string">
  Set to `1` (POSIX `install.sh` only) to skip editing your shell rc file. Use for ephemeral or sandbox installs.
</ParamField>

## Internal

Reserved for ish development and internal tooling. Not part of the supported surface; documented so you can recognize them.

<ParamField path="ISH_MCP_URL" type="string" default="https://mcp.ishlabs.io/mcp">
  ish MCP server URL written by `ish mcp add`. Defaults to the hosted server; an internal override for pointing the CLI at a local or preview MCP server during ish development.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_INTERNAL" type="string">
  Set to `1` to allow the internal-only `--sim-config` flag on `ish study run`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_ADB" type="string">
  Override the `adb` binary path for native Android local simulation. Also honors `ADB`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_EMULATOR" type="string">
  Override the Android `emulator` binary path.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_WDA_PATH" type="string">
  Override the iOS WebDriverAgent runner bundle path.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="ISH_WDA_PORT" type="string" default="8100">
  WebDriverAgent port for native iOS local simulation.
</ParamField>