Swarms Framework Environment Configuration¶

This guide details the environment variables used in the Swarms framework for configuration and customization of your agent-based applications.

Configuration Setup¶

Create a .env file in your project's root directory to configure the Swarms framework. This file will contain all necessary environment variables for customizing your agent's behavior, logging, and analytics.

Environment Variables¶

Core Variables¶

`WORKSPACE_DIR`¶

Purpose: Defines the directory where all agent states and execution logs are stored
Type: String (path)
Default: ./workspace
Example:
```
WORKSPACE_DIR=/path/to/your/workspace
```
Usage:
Stores JSON files containing agent states
Maintains execution history
Keeps track of agent interactions
Preserves conversation logs

`SWARMS_AUTOUPDATE_ON`¶

Purpose: Controls automatic updates of the Swarms framework
Type: Boolean
Default: false
Example:
```
SWARMS_AUTOUPDATE_ON=true
```
Features:
Automatically updates to the latest stable version
Ensures you have the newest features
Maintains compatibility with the latest improvements
Handles dependency updates
Considerations:
Set to false if you need version stability
Recommended true for development environments
Consider system requirements for auto-updates
May require restart after updates

Telemetry Configuration¶

`USE_TELEMETRY`¶

Purpose: Controls whether telemetry data is collected
Type: Boolean
Default: false
Example:
```
USE_TELEMETRY=true
```
Data Collected:
Agent performance metrics
Execution time statistics
Memory usage
Error rates
System health indicators

Analytics Integration¶

`SWARMS_API_KEY`¶

Purpose: Authentication key for the Swarms Analytics Suite
Type: String
Required: Yes, for analytics features
Example:
```
SWARMS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
```
Features:
Real-time agent execution tracking
Usage analytics
Performance monitoring
Cost tracking
Custom metrics

Getting Started¶

Create a new .env file:
```
touch .env
```

Add your configuration:

# Basic configuration
WORKSPACE_DIR=./my_workspace

# Enable auto-updates
SWARMS_AUTOUPDATE_ON=true

# Enable telemetry
USE_TELEMETRY=true

# Add your Swarms API key
SWARMS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

Obtain your API key:
Visit swarms.ai
Create an account or log in
Navigate to the API section
Generate your unique API key

Best Practices¶

Security:
Never commit your .env file to version control
Add .env to your .gitignore file
Keep your API keys secure and rotate them periodically
Workspace Organization:
Use descriptive workspace directory names
Implement regular cleanup of old logs
Monitor workspace size to prevent disk space issues
Telemetry Management:
Enable telemetry in development for debugging
Consider privacy implications in production
Review collected data periodically
Auto-Update Management:
Test updates in development before enabling in production
Keep backups before enabling auto-updates
Monitor system resources during updates
Schedule updates during low-traffic periods

Examples¶

Basic Development Setup¶

WORKSPACE_DIR=./dev_workspace
SWARMS_AUTOUPDATE_ON=true
USE_TELEMETRY=true
SWARMS_API_KEY=sk_test_xxxxxxxxxxxx

Production Setup¶

WORKSPACE_DIR=/var/log/swarms/prod_workspace
SWARMS_AUTOUPDATE_ON=false
USE_TELEMETRY=true
SWARMS_API_KEY=sk_prod_xxxxxxxxxxxx

Testing Environment¶

WORKSPACE_DIR=./test_workspace
SWARMS_AUTOUPDATE_ON=true
USE_TELEMETRY=false
SWARMS_API_KEY=sk_test_xxxxxxxxxxxx

Troubleshooting¶

Common issues and solutions:

Workspace Access Issues:
Ensure proper file permissions
Verify the directory exists
Check disk space availability
API Key Problems:
Confirm key is properly formatted
Verify key hasn't expired
Check for proper environment variable loading
Telemetry Issues:
Confirm network connectivity
Verify firewall settings
Check for proper boolean values
Auto-Update Issues:
Check internet connectivity
Verify sufficient disk space
Ensure proper permissions for updates
Check system compatibility requirements