---
layout: docs
page_title: KV - Secrets Engines
description: The KV secrets engine can store arbitrary secrets.
---

# KV Secrets Engine - Version 1

The `kv` secrets engine is used to store arbitrary secrets within the
configured physical storage for Vault.

Writing to a key in the `kv` backend will replace the old value; sub-fields are
not merged together.

Key names must always be strings. If you write non-string values directly via
the CLI, they will be converted into strings. However, you can preserve
non-string values by writing the key/value pairs to Vault from a JSON file or
using the HTTP API.

This secrets engine honors the distinction between the `create` and `update`
capabilities inside ACL policies.

~> **Note**: Path and key names are _not_ obfuscated or encrypted; only the
values set on keys are. You should not store sensitive information as part of a
secret's path.

## Setup

To enable a version 1 kv store:

```
vault secrets enable -version=1 kv
```

## Usage

After the secrets engine is configured and a user/machine has a Vault token with
the proper permission, it can generate credentials. The `kv` secrets engine
allows for writing keys with arbitrary values.

1. Write arbitrary data:

   ```text
   $ vault kv put kv/my-secret my-value=s3cr3t
   Success! Data written to: kv/my-secret
   ```

1. Read arbitrary data:

   ```text
   $ vault kv get kv/my-secret
   Key                 Value
   ---                 -----
   my-value            s3cr3t
   ```

1. List the keys:

   ```text
   $ vault kv list kv/
   Keys
   ----
   my-secret
   ```

1. Delete a key:

   ```
   $ vault kv delete kv/my-secret
   Success! Data deleted (if it existed) at: kv/my-secret
   ```

## TTLs

Unlike other secrets engines, the KV secrets engine does not enforce TTLs
for expiration. Instead, the `lease_duration` is a hint for how often consumers
should check back for a new value.

If provided a key of `ttl`, the KV secrets engine will utilize this value
as the lease duration:

```shell-session
$ vault kv put kv/my-secret ttl=30m my-value=s3cr3t
Success! Data written to: kv/my-secret
```

Even with a `ttl` set, the secrets engine _never_ removes data on its own. The
`ttl` key is merely advisory.

When reading a value with a `ttl`, both the `ttl` key _and_ the refresh interval
will reflect the value:

```shell-session
$ vault kv get kv/my-secret
Key                 Value
---                 -----
my-value            s3cr3t
ttl                 30m
```

## Tutorial

Refer to the [Static Secrets: Key/Value Secrets
Engine](https://learn.hashicorp.com/vault/secrets-management/sm-static-secrets)
tutorial to learn how to set up a uniform workflow to securely store sensitive information.

## API

The KV secrets engine has a full HTTP API. Please see the
[KV secrets engine API](/api-docs/secret/kv/kv-v1) for more
details.
