Configuration

Environment variables, deployment modes, and advanced configuration options.

Deployment Modes

Elmo supports several deployment modes, controlled by the DEPLOYMENT_MODE environment variable:

Mode	Description
`local`	Single-org, email/password auth. Best for individual use. (default)
`demo`	Read-only mode for showcasing Elmo without allowing changes.
`cloud`	Managed hosting (coming soon).

When you run elmo init, the CLI generates a .env file in your config directory. You can edit this file directly to change settings.

Variable	Description	Default
`DEPLOYMENT_MODE`	Deployment mode	`local`
`DATABASE_URL`	PostgreSQL connection string	Generated by CLI
`BETTER_AUTH_SECRET`	Secret key for session encryption	Auto-generated
`DISABLE_TELEMETRY`	Set to `1` to disable all telemetry. See Telemetry.	—

At least one provider is required for Elmo to track visibility. See Providers for a full cost/capability breakdown and recommended setups.

Variable	Description
`BRIGHTDATA_API_TOKEN`	BrightData token — recommended scraper for ChatGPT + Google AI Mode. Sign up
`OLOSTEP_API_KEY`	Olostep key — recommended scraper, powers most large-scale trackers. Sign up
`OPENAI_API_KEY`	OpenAI API key — enables ChatGPT (via API, not the consumer UI)
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	Anthropic API key — enables Claude tracking
`OPENROUTER_API_KEY`	OpenRouter key — one key for Claude + other hosted models
`DATAFORSEO_LOGIN`	DataForSEO login — optional, unlocks Google AI Mode scraping and keyword brainstorming in the onboarding wizard
`DATAFORSEO_PASSWORD`	DataForSEO password
`SCRAPE_TARGETS`	Comma-separated `model:provider[:version][:online]` entries. See Providers.

To change environment variables after initial setup:

# Edit the .env file
nano ./elmo/.env

# Restart services to pick up changes
elmo stop
elmo start

If you need to regenerate the elmo.yaml file (e.g. after changing Postgres mode):

elmo regen

This rebuilds elmo.yaml from your current settings without touching .env.

By default, elmo init provisions a PostgreSQL container. To use an existing database instead:

Choose "Use existing Postgres" during elmo init, or

Edit .env to set DATABASE_URL to your connection string

Run elmo regen to update elmo.yaml (removes the Postgres container)

Restart with elmo stop && elmo start

Your database must be PostgreSQL 15 or later.

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