pass(1)
pass is a simple password manager that stores passwords encrypted with GPG in a directory hierarchy on disk.
Synopsis
pass [ insert | show | edit | delete | copy | generate ] [ --clip ] [ --in-place ] [ --force ] [ --multiline ] [ options ] pass-nameDescription
pass is a minimal password manager that keeps passwords in GPG-encrypted files organized in a simple directory structure under ~/.password-store/. Each password lives in its own encrypted file, with the directory hierarchy reflecting logical grouping (e.g., email/gmail, social/twitter).
Common workflows: show a password (and optionally copy to clipboard), insert a new password, generate a random password, or edit existing entries. All files are encrypted with your GPG key, so only you can decrypt them.
pass integrates with git for automatic version control, bash completion for pass-names, and various password managers for import/export.
Common options
| Flag | What it does |
|---|---|
show | Display the password for a given pass-name (default action if no subcommand given) |
insert | Prompt to insert a new password for pass-name |
-m, --multiline | Allow multiple lines of input when inserting a password |
generate | Generate a random password of specified length (default 25 characters) |
-c, --clip | Copy the password to the clipboard instead of printing it |
-f, --force | Force operations to proceed without confirmation prompts |
edit | Open the encrypted password file in $EDITOR for modification |
delete | Remove a password from the store |
copy | Copy password to clipboard (same as show --clip) |
ls | List all passwords in the store (tree-like format) |
find | Search for passwords matching a pattern |
init | Initialize a new password store with a GPG key ID |
Examples
Display the password for email/gmail entry
pass show email/gmailCopy email/gmail password to clipboard without printing it
pass show -c email/gmailPrompt to enter a new password for social/twitter (hidden input)
pass insert social/twitterGenerate a random 16-character password for social/twitter and save it
pass generate social/twitter 16Open encrypted email/gmail file in your editor to modify password or metadata
pass edit email/gmailDisplay all passwords organized by directory structure
pass lsRemove email/gmail password without asking for confirmation
pass delete -f email/gmailSearch for all password entries containing 'bank' in the path
pass find bank