Set up your Proton Pass SSH agent

Proton Pass allows you to store your SSH private keys encrypted in your vaults instead of as plaintext-on-disk files protected only by a passphrase. This enables the SSH agent protocol, so tools like Git or SSH can access the password manager the same way they’d talk to a normal agent.

When you unlock your vault (e.g. using biometrics) this unlocks access to the SSH keys for signing — centralizing key storage alongside your other credentials, with the vault’s encryption and access controls protecting the key instead of a separate passphrase-protected file.

Note: You’ll need to create an SSH key in order to start using the SSH agent.

Find out how to create an SSH key to store in Proton Pass.

You can use the SSH agent to:

• Authenticate with Git
• Sign Git commits
• Forward SSH authentication to remote servers

The Proton Pass SSH agent is available for all paid Proton Pass plans with the exception of Proton Pass Essentials. It can accessed through the Proton Pass desktop app.

How to generate your SSH agent command

1. Select the Settings ⚙ icon → General

2. In the SSH Agent section, tick the Use Proton Pass as SSH agent box to generate a setup command that you can then paste into your terminal. If you’re using a macOS or Linux device then once you’ve copied the command, select Done. If you’re using a Windows device, you’ll have to take additional steps which are listed.

3. If you need to use the command again, you can find it by selecting the ? icon