Configure environment and secrets for FastAPI

Summary

Configure environment variables and secrets for a FastAPI app on Ample. Values passed with --env or --env-file are stored encrypted and injected at runtime; the platform never prints them and ample.toml declares only variable names. The fixture proves delivery by reporting whether the secret is set without echoing it.

Infrastructure requirements

• Compute: verified (Apps run in isolated x86_64 Firecracker microVMs that auto-pause when idle and wake on request; sizes are the priced VM sizes.)

Prerequisites

• Code that reads configuration from the process environment
• The secret values at hand for --env or an env file
• An Ample account token with servers:write

Exact tested configuration

• template: python-3.12
• runtime: python
• size: s-1vcpu-1gb
• install: python3 -m pip install --target .ample/python -r requirements.txt
• start: PYTHONPATH=.ample/python:${PYTHONPATH:-} python3 run.py

Steps

1. Declare, do not commit. In ample.toml declare SMTP_KEY = { secret = true } style entries; never put literal secrets in the manifest.
2. Pass values on deploy. Use --env KEY=value (repeatable) or --env-file .env.production; values are encrypted at rest and reused on redeploys.

   ample deploy . --name <app-name> --public --start "python3 run.py" --env CANARY_SECRET=...

3. Confirm without echoing. Expose a route (/config) that reports secret=set or secret=missing, never the value.
4. Verify. Fetch the live URL and run the success checks below. On failure read the build log, then the runtime log, fix the cause and deploy again; do not blind-retry.

   ample logs <deployment_id> --kind build

Tested examples

• FastAPI secret probe canary (tests/deploy-canaries/fastapi-postgres-api): /config reports secret=set for an --env value delivered encrypted.

Success checks

• app sees the configured variable without exposing it (/config on the live URL, expect secret=set)

Limitations

• Verified on the node-22 template at s-1vcpu-1gb; other templates and sizes are not verified by this recipe.
• Region, compliance attestations and request-duration limits are unknown and not claimed.
• Apps auto-pause when idle and wake on the next request; always-on is an operator setting, not a plan feature.
• Plain env in the API request is rejected; only the encrypted path is supported.
• Rotating a secret requires a redeploy with the new value.

Cost estimate

Estimated 5.00 USD per month (size prices from pricing.toml at build revision a1b8c38919e59cd035ebabaced73cf84ece24371).

• app server x1 s-1vcpu-1gb: 5.00 USD

Apps and managed databases auto-pause when idle; the estimate is the always-on monthly price of the tested sizes. Plan quotas and budgets apply.

Verification evidence

• canary_run on 2026-09-20T01:42:25Z at revision 199ff1dfd52683832ae75d3f98b53a7a4bff7f96-dirty (CLI e3181f5): FastAPI REST API using psycopg with no DATABASE_URL supplied: Ample auto-provisioned a managed PostgreSQL 16 database and /items reported postgres=ok after a real insert and count. (expires 2027-03-19T01:42:25Z)

Last verified: 2026-09-20T01:42:25Z

Execution binding

MCP tool ample_deploy (registry mcp:ample_deploy), schema hash 876465fce906da0c observed 2026-09-20T01:55:48.667900+00:00 at revision 199ff1dfd526, binding state current, required scopes: servers:write.