SOPS Add Key

Add a new machine's age public key to the project and re-encrypt all files so the new machine can decrypt them.

Workflow

1. •

   Detect current state:

   bash

   python3 ${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/../sops-setup/scripts/detect_sops.py <project-root>
   

2. •

   Verify prerequisites:

   • •project.sops_yaml.exists must be true — if not, tell user to run /devtools:sops-setup first
   • •project.encrypted_files should be non-empty — warn if there are no .enc.yaml files to re-encrypt
   • •If project.tmp_files is non-empty, warn about stale temporary files (leftover from a failed decrypt/re-encrypt) and suggest the user delete them
3. •

   Audit key propagation (if encrypted files exist): For each encrypted file, read its YAML and check the sops.age recipients list against project.sops_yaml.authorized_keys. If any authorized key is missing from any file's recipients:

   code

   WARNING: Key age1xxx...yyy is in .sops.yaml but NOT a recipient in:
     - apps/web/.env.local.enc.yaml
     - apps/api/.env.local.enc.yaml
   These files need re-encryption before the corresponding machine can decrypt them.
   

   Offer to run sops updatekeys -y <file> for each affected file before proceeding with the new key addition.

4. •

   Show current authorized keys from project.sops_yaml.authorized_keys:

   code

   Currently authorized keys (N):
   1. age1abc...def (truncated)
   2. age1ghi...jkl (truncated)
   

5. •

   Use AskUserQuestion — ask user to paste the new machine's age public key. Validate it starts with age1.

6. •

   Read .sops.yaml and add the new key to the age: field in creation_rules. Use the Edit tool to append the key to the comma-separated list or multi-line block.

7. •

   Re-encrypt all files using sops updatekeys:

   bash

   sops updatekeys -y <file>.enc.yaml
   

   For each encrypted file. The -y flag auto-confirms. This re-wraps only the data encryption key for the new recipient list — values and MAC are unchanged, producing a minimal diff.

   If sops updatekeys is not available (older sops version), fall back to decrypt + re-encrypt:

   bash

   sops --decrypt <file>.enc.yaml > <file>.tmp.yaml
   sops --encrypt <file>.tmp.yaml > <file>.enc.yaml
   rm <file>.tmp.yaml
   

   Verify: After re-encrypting, read each file's sops.age recipients block and confirm all keys from .sops.yaml (including the newly added key) appear as recipients. If any key is missing, warn the user that re-encryption may have failed.

8. •

   Summary:

   code

   | Action | Detail |
   |--------|--------|
   | Key added | age1xyz... (new machine) |
   | .sops.yaml | Updated (now N+1 authorized keys) |
   | Re-encrypted | .env.local.enc.yaml |
   | Re-encrypted | .env.production.enc.yaml |
   

   Remind user to commit both .sops.yaml and the updated .enc.yaml files.

Key Rotation vs Key Addition

• •Adding a key (sops updatekeys): Re-wraps the DEK for the new recipient list. Safe, minimal diff. Use for onboarding machines.
• •Rotating keys (sops rotate -i): Generates a new DEK and re-encrypts every value. Use when a key is compromised or for periodic security hygiene.
• •If the user mentions a compromised key, recommend sops rotate -i after removing the compromised key from .sops.yaml.

Key Rules

• •Validate the public key format (must start with age1) before modifying .sops.yaml
• •Always show the current keys before adding a new one
• •Re-encrypt ALL .enc.yaml files — missing any would lock out the new machine for those files
• •Use sops updatekeys (not full decrypt/re-encrypt) for routine key additions
• •After re-encryption, the new machine can clone and decrypt immediately