Configuration

SPECTRA is configured through a .env file in the project root and optionally through environment variables set in the shell or CI/CD pipeline.

`.env` File

Copy the template and populate your values:

cp .env.example .env

A complete .env file looks like this:

# Required
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

# Optional — override defaults
SPECTRA_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4-6
SPECTRA_FORMAT=both
SPECTRA_OUTPUT=reports/latest
SPECTRA_MAX_TOKENS=4096

Never commit .env to version control. It is listed in .gitignore by default.

Required Variables

Variable	Description
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	Your Anthropic API key. Obtain one at console.anthropic.com.

Optional Variables

Variable	Default	Description
`SPECTRA_MODEL`	`claude-sonnet-4-6`	Claude model to use for analysis. See supported models below.
`SPECTRA_FORMAT`	`markdown`	Default output format: `markdown`, `json`, or `both`.
`SPECTRA_OUTPUT`	`./spectra_report`	Default output path prefix.
`SPECTRA_MAX_TOKENS`	`4096`	Maximum response tokens. Increase for large scans.
`SPECTRA_SCANNER`	(auto)	Force scanner detection: `trivy`, `semgrep`, `generic`.

Supported Claude Models

Model	ID	Notes
Claude Sonnet 4.6 (default)	`claude-sonnet-4-6`	Best balance of speed and quality for most analysis workloads
Claude Opus 4.7	`claude-opus-4-7`	Highest quality — recommended for complex multi-scanner batch runs
Claude Haiku 4.5	`claude-haiku-4-5-20251001`	Fastest and lowest cost — suitable for high-volume pipeline use

Override the model per-run with the --model flag:

spectra analyze trivy.json --model claude-opus-4-7 --format both --output reports/deep-analysis

CI/CD Configuration

In CI/CD environments, inject ANTHROPIC_API_KEY as a repository secret — do not store it in .env files committed to your repository.

See CI/CD Integration for platform-specific examples.

Configuration Precedence

When the same option is set in multiple places, SPECTRA resolves in this order (highest to lowest):

CLI flag (--format, --output, etc.)
Shell environment variable
.env file value
Built-in default

Next: Supported Scanners →