Managing Multiple Credentials

Quick Start

If you have multiple IBM Quantum accounts in your ~/.qiskit/qiskit-ibm.json file, the extension helps you choose which one to use.

First Time

When you open VS Code, you'll see a prompt:

Qiskit Code Assistant found N IBM Quantum credentials. Would you like to choose which one to use?

Options:

• Select Credential → Pick one from your file
• Enter Token Manually → Enter a token directly
• Don't Ask Again → Never show this prompt

Switch Anytime

1. Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type: Qiskit Code Assistant: Select Credential
3. Choose from your credentials

Reset Selection

1. Press Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P
2. Type: Qiskit Code Assistant: Reset Credential Selection
3. Reload the window to be prompted again

Configuration File

Your credentials are stored in ~/.qiskit/qiskit-ibm.json:

{
  "production": { "token": "prod_token" },
  "development": { "token": "dev_token" },
  "team-shared": { "token": "team_token" }
}

The extension:

• Automatically discovers all credentials
• Formats names nicely: production → "Production"
• Shows which one is currently selected

Auto-Selection Priority

If you don't choose a credential, this order is used:

1. QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN environment variable (overrides everything)
2. qiskit-code-assistant
3. default-ibm-quantum-platform
4. default-ibm-quantum
5. First available credential

Common Use Cases

Multiple Environments

{
  "production": { "token": "prod_token" },
  "development": { "token": "dev_token" }
}

Each workspace can use a different credential automatically.

Team Projects

{
  "team-project-a": { "token": "project_a_token" },
  "personal": { "token": "my_token" }
}

Switch between team and personal credentials as needed.

Testing Quickly test with different accounts by selecting different credentials between runs.

Troubleshooting

"No credentials found"

• Check file exists: ls ~/.qiskit/qiskit-ibm.json
• Verify JSON is valid
• Check permissions: chmod 600 ~/.qiskit/qiskit-ibm.json

Credential not working

• Run Select Credential command again
• Choose a different credential
• Or clear the setting to use auto-selection

Reset the prompt

• Use the Reset Credential Selection command
• This clears your selection, "Don't Ask Again" flag, and workspace state
• Reload the window to be prompted again

Security

• Tokens stored in OS keychain/credential manager (macOS Keychain, Windows Credential Manager, Linux Secret Service)
• The UI never shows actual tokens
• Set file permissions: chmod 600 ~/.qiskit/qiskit-ibm.json

Advanced

Environment Variable Override

export QISKIT_IBM_TOKEN="your_token"

This overrides any credential selection (useful for CI/CD).

Custom Names Use any name you want:

{
  "client-acme": { "token": "..." },
  "research_2024": { "token": "..." }
}

Displayed as: "Client Acme", "Research 2024"

FAQ

Q: Does switching reload the extension? A: No, it's instant.

Q: Can different files use different credentials? A: No, it's per-workspace.

Q: What if I delete a selected credential? A: Auto-selection kicks in silently.

Q: Does it work with local setup? A: No, this is for IBM Quantum Cloud only.

For Developers

Key Functions

getAllCredentials()              // Returns all credentials from file
promptCredentialSelectionIfNeeded(context)  // Shows prompt on startup
selectCredentialCommand          // Command module for manual selection
resetCredentialSelectionCommand  // Command module to reset all state

State Keys

• qiskitCodeAssistant.selectedCredential - Settings (selected credential name)
• qiskit.hasPromptedCredentialSelection - Workspace state (has shown prompt)
• qiskit.neverPromptCredentialSelection - Global state ("Don't Ask Again")

Files Modified

• src/commands/setApiToken.ts - Core logic
• src/extension.ts - Startup integration
• types/index.d.ts - Type: [key: string]: { token?: string }
• package.json - Command & setting registration

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Related: Set API Token | Report Issues