# Stripe Projects
URL: /overview/stripe-projects

---
title: Stripe Projects
description: Provision a Steel project and STEEL_API_KEY from the Stripe CLI with `stripe projects add steel/browser`. Credentials sync into .env so your agents can start cloud browser sessions.
sidebarTitle: Stripe Projects
llm: true
publishedAt: "2026-07-08"
---

Steel is available through [Stripe Projects](https://docs.stripe.com/projects), a Stripe CLI
workflow for provisioning third-party services and syncing credentials into your project. Add
Steel with `stripe projects add steel/browser` to create a Steel project and project-scoped
`STEEL_API_KEY` for cloud browser sessions.

## Overview

Stripe Projects provisions provider resources from the terminal and writes credentials into your
active environment file. For Steel, the provisioned resource is a Steel project plus an API key
scoped to that project.

| Command | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| `stripe projects init` | Initializes a Stripe Projects workspace in your app directory. |
| `stripe projects add steel/browser` | Provisions a Steel project and syncs credentials into `.env`. |

After provisioning, your app uses the standard Steel API, SDKs, and authentication model. See
[authentication](/overview/authentication) and the [Steel CLI](/overview/steel-cli).

## Prerequisites

Install the [Stripe CLI](https://docs.stripe.com/stripe-cli/install), then install the Projects
plugin:

```bash Terminal
stripe plugin install projects
```

## Provision Steel

Initialize Stripe Projects in your app directory, then add Steel:

```bash Terminal -wc
stripe projects init my-app
stripe projects add steel/browser
```

The add command links your Stripe account to a Steel account, creating one when needed, then
provisions a Steel project and API key inside the Steel account you own. Stripe Projects syncs the
returned credentials into your active environment output file, `.env` by default.

## What lands in `.env`

Steel returns a project-scoped API key plus resource metadata to Stripe Projects. The key your app
uses directly is:

```bash .env -wcn
STEEL_API_KEY=ste-...
```

Use `stripe projects env` to list synced variable names with values redacted:

```bash Terminal -wc
stripe projects env
```

Keep `.env` out of version control. `stripe projects init` adds credential files to `.gitignore`,
but review your repository before committing.

## Use the credentials

The Steel SDK reads `STEEL_API_KEY` from the environment automatically:

<CodeTabs storage="languageSwitcher">

```typescript !! Typescript -wcn
import Steel from 'steel-sdk';

const client = new Steel();

const session = await client.sessions.create();
```

```python !! Python -wcn
from steel import Steel

client = Steel()

session = client.sessions.create()
```

</CodeTabs>

## Plans and pricing

Steel is available through Stripe Projects on Launch and Scale plans. Current plan limits,
included credits, billing requirements, and metered rates live on
[pricing and limits](/overview/pricinglimits).

Upgrade between available Steel plan tiers from the Stripe CLI:

```bash Terminal -wc
stripe projects upgrade steel/browser
```

## Pull credentials on another machine

If you cloned the repo or a teammate provisioned Steel, pull the current credentials into your
local environment file:

```bash Terminal -wc
stripe projects env --pull
```

## Limits and self-hosting

The `steel-browser` runtime is open source under Apache-2.0, so teams can inspect the code and run
it locally or self-hosted when they need a local path. Managed Steel Cloud features still require
Steel Cloud.

| Ships with the open-source runtime | Steel Cloud only |
| --- | --- |
| Browser automation core | Managed residential proxies |
| Session lifecycle and tracing | Credentials API |
| Local and self-hosted deployment | Higher concurrency and managed anti-bot features |

For plan limits such as concurrent sessions, session length, requests per minute, and data
retention, see [pricing and limits](/overview/pricinglimits).

### FAQ

### Do I need a Steel account before I run `stripe projects add`?

No. The command links your Stripe account to a Steel account, creating one when needed. The Steel
project and `STEEL_API_KEY` land in a Steel account you own.

### Where do my provisioned resources live?

In your own Steel account. `stripe projects add steel/browser` provisions a Steel project plus a
project-scoped API key inside the Steel organization tied to your Stripe account.

### Can I link an existing Steel project to a Stripe Project?

Not today. Steel provisions a fresh project for each Stripe Project rather than attaching an
existing Steel project.

### Do the provisioned credentials work with the Steel SDK and CLI?

Yes. Provisioning writes a standard `STEEL_API_KEY`, so the official SDKs, the REST API, and the
Steel CLI can use it from the environment.