# NousResearch/hermes-agent · Built-in providers ignoring config.yaml api_key field

## Open now

- 2 issues, 4 PRs open on GitHub.
- #7579: Anthropic provider ignores config.yaml api_key, requiring duplicate env var configuration
- #21725: \[Bug\]: DeepSeek provider ignores api_key in config.yaml, hardcoded only reads environment variable DEEPSEEK_API_KEY
- PR #7581: fix(providers): honour config.yaml api_key for anthropic provider
- PR #19523: fix(cli): honor fallback model explicit credentials
- PR #73572: fix(auth): honor built-in provider api_key config
- PR #106947: fix(anthropic): honor model.api_key from config.yaml

Multiple reports and corresponding fixes address built-in providers (DeepSeek, Anthropic, others) failing to read the api_key field from config.yaml, instead requiring environment variables. Several fix attempts target this credential priority behavior.

## TL;DR

- 9 member(s): 2 open issue(s), 1 closed issue(s), 4 open PR(s), 0 merged PR(s), 2 PR(s) closed without merging.
- No fix has been merged to main; one or more PRs were attempted (see below).
- **Recommended:** review the prior/competing PR(s) below. A fix was attempted but not merged; your case may extend or revive that work.

## Maintainer resolution verdict

- Internal-tracker verdict over this cluster's issue members: `unresolved`. This is distinct from the fix status above. Weigh it yourself.

## How this cluster was grouped

- Link evidence (`STRUCTURAL_PARTIAL`): some members are connected by structural evidence (shared changed files, or a closing/superseded reference); the rest are joined by an automated relevance judgement over their text.
- Members outside that structural core may belong to a different underlying problem.
- Pairwise link density `0.19`: the share of member pairs that carry a link, counting a structural link in full and a relevance-only link at 0.36. `1.00` means every pair is linked.

## Open related issues

- #7579: Anthropic provider ignores config.yaml api_key, requiring duplicate env var configuration
- #21725: \[Bug\]: DeepSeek provider ignores api_key in config.yaml, hardcoded only reads environment variable DEEPSEEK_API_KEY

## Closed / duplicate issues

- #19519: Built-in Provider API Key Priority: config.yaml api_key field ignored for provider: deepseek

## Prior & competing PRs

- **#7581: fix(providers): honour config.yaml api_key for anthropic provider**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `duplicate_of`; implication `duplicate`; refs `#9105`, `#11713`
  - files: `hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py`
- **#11713: fix(anthropic): honor model.api_key from config.yaml**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `silent_close`; implication `active`
- **#19523: fix(cli): honor fallback model explicit credentials**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `094aa85c370ba07d49786ed25ca93fe8226960f4`
  - files: `cli.py`, `tests/cli/test_cli_provider_resolution.py`
- **#21743: fix(auth): read api_key from config.yaml for built-in providers — fixes #21725**. closed without merge
  - maintainer direction: category `stale_abandoned`; implication `active`
- **#73572: fix(auth): honor built-in provider api_key config**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `wontfix_bydesign`; implication `wontfix`
  - files: `hermes_cli/auth.py`, `hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py`
- **#106947: fix(anthropic): honor model.api_key from config.yaml**. open
  - maintainer direction: category `uncategorized`; implication `needs_llm`; refs `#7581`, `#9105`, `#11713`, `#7579`
  - files: `hermes_cli/runtime_provider.py`, `tests/hermes_cli/test_runtime_provider_resolution.py`

## Fix status

- No merged fix on record.
- Subsystem: `agent`