Manifest

The manifest block on a variable, the structure of the generated document, and the CLI and UI options for producing it.

The manifest block

AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID:
  label: AWS Access Key ID
  secret: true
  manifest:
    include: true
    title: AWS access key
    why: Authenticates the deployment with your AWS account.
    how: |
      **IAM → Users → Add user**, enable *programmatic access*, attach the
      `keel-deploy` policy, copy the access key ID.

include · boolean · default: "true when the block is present"

Whether the variable is in the default selection. A variable without a manifest block is excluded by default; include: false excludes one that has a block.

title · string · default: "the label"

Heading of the variable’s entry.

why · string (Markdown)

Why the value is needed.

how · string (Markdown)

How to obtain it.

The generated document

Markdown, in this order:

1. Title — Required values — <project>, then the deployment name, the target name when generated from a target, the generation date, and Prepared by when known.
2. The deployment’s description.
3. A sentence stating how many values are needed and that sensitive values must be shared securely.
4. A summary table: number, label, type, sensitive, required.
5. One section per variable, in selection order: title; a metadata line (type, Sensitive — share securely, Optional, default, Provided each time a deploy starts, Only applies when …); description; Why it is needed; How to get it; Allowed values for selects; Format for validation constraints in plain language.
6. A footer noting the document was generated by Keel.

The HTML format wraps the same content in a standalone page that renders without any tooling.

Generating

UI

Export variable manifest on a deployment page or a target page opens the builder: a checkbox per variable (default selection pre-checked), a live preview, and Download Markdown / Download HTML. The project name is the repository (Keel Dev) or organization / repository (Keel Cloud); Keel Cloud also fills Prepared by with the signed-in user’s name.

CLI

$ keel manifest <deployment> [-o file] [-f md|html] [--var NAME]... [--project NAME]

Flag	Default	Description
-o, --out	stdout	Output file. - also means stdout.
-f, --format	md	md or html.
--var	the default selection	Variable to include; repeatable. Given any --var, only those are included, in declaration order.
--project	the directory name	Project name in the header.

Selecting a variable that does not exist, or ending up with an empty selection, is an error.