---
layout: "consul"
page_title: "Consul: consul_keys"
sidebar_current: "docs-consul-resource-keys"
description: |-
  Provides access to Key/Value data in Consul. This can be used to both read keys from Consul, but also to set the value of keys in Consul. This is a powerful way dynamically set values in templates, and to expose infrastructure details to clients.
---

# consul\_keys

Provides access to Key/Value data in Consul. This can be used
to both read keys from Consul, but also to set the value of keys
in Consul. This is a powerful way dynamically set values in templates,
and to expose infrastructure details to clients.

## Example Usage

```
resource "consul_keys" "app" {
    datacenter = "nyc1"
    token = "abcd"

    # Read the launch AMI from Consul
    key {
        name = "ami"
        path = "service/app/launch_ami"
        default = "ami-1234"
    }

    # Set the CNAME of our load balancer as a key
    key {
        name = "elb_cname"
        path = "service/app/elb_address"
        value = "${aws_elb.app.dns_name}"
    }
}

# Start our instance with the dynamic ami value
resource "aws_instance" "app" {
    ami = "${consul_keys.app.var.ami}"
    ...
}
```

## Argument Reference

The following arguments are supported:

* `datacenter` - (Optional) The datacenter to use. This overrides the
  datacenter in the provider setup and the agent's default datacenter.

* `token` - (Optional) The ACL token to use. This overrides the
  token that the agent provides by default.

* `key` - (Required) Specifies a key in Consul to be read or written.
  Supported values documented below.

The `key` block supports the following:

* `name` - (Required) This is the name of the key. This value of the
  key is exposed as `var.<name>`. This is not the path of the key
  in Consul.

* `path` - (Required) This is the path in Consul that should be read
  or written to.

* `default` - (Optional) This is the default value to set for `var.<name>`
  if the key does not exist in Consul. Defaults to the empty string.

* `value` - (Optional) If set, the key will be set to this value.
  This allows a key to be written to.

* `delete` - (Optional) If true, then the key will be deleted when
  the resource is destroyed. Otherwise, it will be left in Consul.
  Defaults to false.

## Attributes Reference

The following attributes are exported:

* `datacenter` - The datacenter the keys are being read/written to.
* `var.<name>` - For each name given, the corresponding attribute
  has the value of the key.