# Missing Secrets

URL: https://docs.testvibe.com/troubleshooting/missing-secrets

Variables and secrets live in **Settings → Variables & Secrets** and are referenced from Gherkin as `{{var:NAME}}` and `{{secret:NAME}}` (type `@` in the editor to autocomplete). Login steps, staging credentials, API tokens, and private test data usually depend on them. Secrets are encrypted and write-only after saving — values never appear in the UI or in run logs.

## Common Missing Values

| Value | Common use | Test username and password | Signing in to the app under test. | API token | Calling a backend or setting up test data. | Environment URL or tenant value | Targeting the right staging, QA, or customer environment. | Plugin-required values | Some plugins declare values they need before they can run. 

The failure message usually names the token that could not be resolved.

## Symptoms

| Symptom | What it usually means | Run or generation reports a secret token was not found | The name inside `{{secret:NAME}}` does not match any entry in Variables & Secrets. | Run fails during login | Test credentials are missing, wrong, or saved under a different name. | A value resolves as empty | The entry exists with a different name, or was saved in a different project. | A plugin refuses to run | The plugin requires a value that has not been added yet. 

## Add Or Replace A Value

1. Open **Settings → Variables & Secrets** in your project.
2. Add an entry whose name exactly matches the token in your Gherkin ( `{{secret:NAME}}` or `{{var:NAME}}` ).
3. Paste the value and save. Secret values are hidden after saving.
4. Re-run generation or the test run that failed.
For the full setup flow, see [Add API keys and secrets](/workspace/add-api-keys-and-secrets) .

## Important Notes

- Token names are matched exactly — check spelling and case against the entry.
- If a secret value changed, replace it and run again; you cannot read the old value back.
- Use `{{var:NAME}}` for non-sensitive values you want visible, and `{{secret:NAME}}` for credentials.

## Related Help

- [Add API keys and secrets](/workspace/add-api-keys-and-secrets)
- [Generation failed](/troubleshooting/generation-failed)
- [Run failed](/troubleshooting/run-failed)