# Using credential providers

**URL:** <https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/using-credential-providers/21331>\
**Category:** cargo\
**Created:** [August 8, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/using-credential-providers/21331 "2024-08-08T15:01:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![blonk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9de0a6/32.png) [@blonk](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/blonk)\
**Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 3:01pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/using-credential-providers/21331/1 "2024-08-08T15:01:31Z")

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I posted a [question on URLO](https://users.rust-lang.org/t/using-credential-providers-for-custom-registries/115680), but then realized that the people who actually did the work are probably more likely to hang out here, on internals.

I'm trying to use the `cargo:macos-keychain` credential provider, but am unable to find any documentation on how to format the keychain item so that cargo will find it. A code comment states that the "account name" is "not used", but the account name is a required field when creating an item. (Is it "not used" in the sense that it's a lookup where an empty field matches any entry?). Perhaps more importantly, when I try to create an item using the `cargo-registry:` prefix, I get a pretty broken keychain item.

Is there a step-by-step guide on using the credential providers? (How to format the Keychain items, in particular).

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**Author:** ![steffahn](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/internals.rust-lang.org/steffahn/32/13288_2.png) [@steffahn](https://internals.rust-lang.org/u/steffahn)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2026, 3:02pm UTC](https://internals.rust-lang.org/t/using-credential-providers/21331/2 "2026-01-30T15:02:30Z")

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Closed on January 30, 2026, 3:02pm UTC

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