Kafka: 1. Create an access token and store it as a CI secret

This documentation is part of the GitHub Actions & GitLab CI guide. You can view the complete guide here: Launch a real Kafka service from your GitHub Actions or GitLab CI pipeline, run your tests against it, and automatically tear it down.

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To allow the CLI to work non-interactively, you will need an access token (format: usr-xxxxxx:tokenId). You only need to create this token once, then add it to your CI pipeline as a secure, encrypted secret.

1. Create the token: In your Stackhero dashboard, click your profile picture at the top right, go to Your account, then Access tokens, and click Create token.
2. For GitHub Actions: In your repository, go to Settings > Secrets and variables > Actions > New repository secret, and enter the token as STACKHERO_TOKEN.
3. For GitLab CI: In your project, go to Settings > CI/CD > Variables > Add variable, set the key to STACKHERO_TOKEN, and check Masked (and Protected if your CI only runs on protected branches).

Never include your access token directly in your pipeline YAML file. If it is present in YAML, it could be exposed to anyone with repository access and may appear in build logs. Storing it as a CI secret ensures it remains encrypted and masked, keeping your token secure.