Configuration
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Open Poet can be configured through CLI flags, environment variables, and the built-in Settings panel. Most settings can be changed directly from the UI without editing files.
CLI Flags
Pass these flags when starting the Open Poet server:
openpoet -port 8080 -db myproject.db| Flag | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
-bind |
localhost |
Network interface to bind to |
-port |
8080 |
HTTP server port |
-db |
~/.openpoet/openpoet.db |
SQLite database path |
-openai-key |
(empty) | OpenAI API key for AI features |
-mcp-http |
false |
Enable MCP HTTP transport on given address |
Environment Variables
The following environment variables are used at runtime:
| Variable | Description |
|---|---|
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY |
Claude API key for the AI assistant |
OPENAI_API_KEY |
OpenAI API key for voice transcription (Whisper) |
GROQ_API_KEY |
Groq API key for alternative LLM provider |
OPENPOET_BIND |
Bind address (default: localhost) |
OPENPOET_PORT |
Server port (default: 8080) |
OPENPOET_DB |
Database path (default: ~/.openpoet/openpoet.db) |
OPENPOET_ENCRYPT_KEY |
Encryption key for stored secrets (SSH credentials) |
VAPID_EMAIL |
Email address for push notification VAPID keys |
AI Provider Configuration (Optional)
Open Poet works out of the box with Claude Code sessions — no extra API keys are needed for the core experience. However, you can optionally configure AI providers to enable the AI Chat assistant and voice transcription.
Providers are configured through the Settings panel in the UI. Supported providers:
- Anthropic Claude — Cloud-hosted models via the Anthropic API. Requires a valid
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY. - Claude Code CLI — Uses the locally installed
claudecommand. No separate API key needed if Claude Code is already configured. - Ollama — Run models locally with Ollama. No API key required; connect to your local Ollama instance.
- OpenAI-compatible APIs — Connect to any OpenAI-compatible endpoint by providing a custom base URL and API key.
Each provider slot (chat, background, session) can be configured independently from Settings > AI Configuration. API keys are validated on save.
Themes
Open Poet ships with 13 built-in themes that can be toggled from the UI settings panel. The active theme is persisted across sessions.
Available themes:
- Tokyo Night (default)
- Midnight
- Daylight (light)
- Nord
- Dracula
- Solarized
- Monokai
- Gruvbox
- Sakura
- Cafe
- Arctic
- Paper
- Brasil
To change your theme, open Settings from the navigation bar and select a theme from the dropdown. The change takes effect immediately.