---
title: "How to Use 1Password to Authenticate the FOSSA CLI"
description: "Learn how to authenticate the FOSSA CLI using 1Password's shell plugin for secure and easy integration."
canonical_url: "https://fossa.com/blog/use-1password-authenticate-fossa-cli/"
markdown_url: "https://fossa.com/blog/use-1password-authenticate-fossa-cli.md"
content_type: "blog"
language: "en"
date_published: "2023-01-04"
date_modified: "2023-01-04"
author: "Andy Drukarev"
organization: "FOSSA"
---

# How to Use 1Password to Authenticate the FOSSA CLI

> Learn how to authenticate the FOSSA CLI using 1Password's shell plugin for secure and easy integration.

We’re excited to share a new, easy way to authenticate the FOSSA CLI. Our friends at 1Password have released a shell plugin that will enable FOSSA users to authenticate with a simple fingerprint scan.

Although there are multiple ways to use FOSSA’s open source management products, many of our customers prefer the FOSSA CLI. This is because our CLI offers the most performant, accurate, and secure method of integration. Additionally, it provides accurate and permanent build results and doesn’t require you to give FOSSA servers access to your code.

And, with 1Password’s shell plugin, you can now securely authenticate the FOSSA CLI with your fingerprint or system authentication, rather than storing your credentials in plaintext.

This plugin supports the Bash, Zsh, and Fish shells.

> <strong>
> Start for Free: <a href="https://app.fossa.com/auth/register">Create Your FOSSA Account</a>
> &nbsp;
> </strong>

## Pre-Requisites

First, make sure you have a FOSSA account — if you don't, you can sign up by clicking the "create your FOSSA account" link above.

Then, make sure you’ve installed the FOSSA CLI. If you haven’t, [visit our docs](https://docs.fossa.com/docs/importing-a-project) to get started.

If you don’t currently have a 1Password account, sign up by [visiting this link](https://1password.com/sign-up/). Then, follow these steps:

1. Install 1Password 8 for [Mac](https://1password.com/downloads/mac/) or [Linux](https://1password.com/downloads/linux/)
2. [Add your accounts to the app](https://support.1password.com/add-account/)
3. Install [1Password CLI 2.9.0](https://app-updates.agilebits.com/product_history/CLI2) or later; If you've already installed 1Password CLI, [update your installation](https://developer.1password.com/docs/cli/reference/update/)
4. [Connect 1Password CLI with the 1Password app](https://developer.1password.com/docs/cli/about-biometric-unlock)

## Step 1: Import/Select Credentials

Get started by opening the terminal and entering the following command:

```bash
$ op plugin init fossa
```

![Command to initialize the plugin](https://fossa.com/Screen-Shot-2023-01-03-at-5.38.18-PM.png)

The next step will depend on whether your FOSSA credentials are already in 1Password.

_If your FOSSA credentials aren’t in 1Password_

Select “Import into 1Password.” 1Password will either detect your credentials and prompt you to import them, or you’ll be asked to enter them manually.

If you need to enter your credentials manually, you’ll want to log into your FOSSA account, visit your [Account Settings](https://app.fossa.com/account/settings/integrations/api_tokens), and then create an API token.

![Create an API token](https://fossa.com/1pw-blog-image-api.png)

Once you’ve imported your credentials, you'll be asked to name your new 1Password item and pick the vault where you want to save it.

![Import credentials into 1Password](https://fossa.com/1pw-blog-image-import.png)

_If your FOSSA credentials are already in 1Password_

Select Search; this will produce a list of related items (and vaults where they’re saved). If your credentials don’t appear, select “Expand search” to list all items in your account.

![Search credentials in 1Password](https://fossa.com/1pw-blog-image-search.png)

## Step 2: Set Your Default Credential Scope

Once you’ve selected (or imported) your credentials, 1Password will prompt you to configure **when** to use the item to authenticate FOSSA.

![Set default credential scope](https://fossa.com/1pw-blog-image-set.png)

Per 1Password’s documentation, the configuration options can be explained as follows:

- _"Prompt me for each new terminal session" will only configure the credentials for the duration of the current terminal session. Once you exit the terminal, the default will be removed._
- _"Use automatically when in this directory or subdirectories" will make the credentials the default in the current directory and all of its subdirectories, as long as no other directory-specific defaults are set in them. A terminal-session default takes precedence over a directory-specific one._
- _"Use as global default on my system" will set the credentials as the default in all terminal sessions and directories. A directory-specific default takes precedence over a global one._

## Step 3: Source the plugins.sh File

To make 1Password’s Shell plugin available, you’ll need to source your plugins.sh file. For example:

```bash
source ~/.config/op/plugins.sh
```

The file path for your `op` folder may vary, but running `op plugin init` will output a source command with the correct file path. For more examples, [reference 1Password’s documentation](https://developer.1password.com/docs/cli/shell-plugins/fossa/#step-2-source-the-pluginssh-file).

## Step 4: Run the FOSSA CLI

Once you’ve completed the above steps, 1Password will prompt you to authenticate the next time you enter a command in your FOSSA CLI.

![Run FOSSA CLI](https://fossa.com/1pw-blog-image-cli.png)

After saving your FOSSA credentials in 1Password, you can remove all local copies you previously had stored on disk.

If you’re having any trouble setting up this fingerprint authentication, please feel free to [reference 1Password’s documentation](https://developer.1password.com/docs/cli/shell-plugins/fossa). Or, if you have any questions about using FOSSA’s CLI (or signing up for a paid FOSSA account), please [contact our team](https://fossa.com/request-demo) (or reach out to your customer success representative).

## Related resources

- [Summer 2026 Product Updates: Enhanced Reports](https://fossa.com/blog/summer-2026-product-updates-enhanced-reports.md): See what's new with FOSSA's reporting capabilities, including saved report settings and cleaner attribution formatting.
- [Project Glasswing and the AI Vulnerability Math Problem](https://fossa.com/blog/project-glasswing-ai-vulnerability-math-problem.md): See analysis of one of the overlooked impacts of recent developments in AI vulnerability discovery and exploitation.
- [fossabot expands to all GitHub and GitLab tiers](https://fossa.com/blog/fossabot-expands-github-gitlab.md): fossabot now supports all tiers of GitHub and GitLab for strategic dependency upgrades.
- [Spring 2026 FOSSA Product Updates](https://fossa.com/blog/spring-2026-fossa-product-updates.md): Check out new features available to FOSSA customers, including malware detection, custom risk scores, and more.
- [Introducing Automated Malware Detection in FOSSA](https://fossa.com/blog/introducing-automated-malware-detection-fossa.md): Learn about FOSSA's new malware detection feature, including its benefits and how to use it.

## Source

Canonical page: https://fossa.com/blog/use-1password-authenticate-fossa-cli/