# Node-RED Projects Encryption Question

**URL:** <https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-projects-encryption-question/22474>\
**Category:** General\
**Created:** [2 March 2020 07:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-projects-encryption-question/22474 "2020-03-02T07:48:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![unixneo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/unixneo/32/17441_2.png) [@unixneo](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/unixneo)\
**Post date:** [2 March 2020 07:48 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-projects-encryption-question/22474/1 "2020-03-02T07:48:20Z")

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Finally got around to setting up "projects" on three Node-RED deployments.

In my initial config, I just followed the dialog boxes and created a new project, added username, email, project name, checked encryption (local) and entered a password / key.

All seems fine, made a few changes and all looks awesome. Great feature. Thanks.

Then, I visited the `~/.node-red/projects` directory in each instance and found a projects directory with the name of the project I provided (yea!).

For example:

```auto
-rw-rw-r-- 1 neo neo 560 Mar 2 01:31 flows_condor_cred.json
-rw-rw-r-- 1 neo neo 65422 Mar 2 01:31 flows_condor.json
-rw-rw-r-- 1 neo neo 457 Mar 2 01:32 package.json
-rw-rw-r-- 1 neo neo 165 Mar 2 01:31 README.md

```

I opened the file, `flows_condor.json` , expecting it to be encrypted but in all three instances on different three difference servers (with different project names), my `flows_project.json` files are in plain text.

This leads me to believe that in my `node-red projects newbieness` I must be misunderstanding what "encryption" means or does (in this case), since it does not encrypt the `flows_project.json` files. I really don't have any pressing security need to encrypt `flows_project.json` files; however, I am curious why I thought I was encrypting this file (my expectation), but they are all in plain text (json, of course).

What am I missing or misunderstanding?

Thanks!

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**Author:** ![knolleary](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/knolleary/32/3_2.png) [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)\
**Post date:** [2 March 2020 07:53 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-projects-encryption-question/22474/2 "2020-03-02T07:53:45Z")

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It encrypts the credentials file, not the flow file. Have a look at the `_cred.json` file.

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**Author:** ![unixneo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/user_avatar/discourse.nodered.org/unixneo/32/17441_2.png) [@unixneo](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/unixneo)\
**Post date:** [2 March 2020 07:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-projects-encryption-question/22474/3 "2020-03-02T07:56:40Z")

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Thanks.

Yeah, I saw the `_cred.json` file was encrypted. Thanks.

I misunderstood that the `flows_project.json` file was also going to be encrypted (my mistake) as well.

Thanks again for clarifying and the outstanding support, Nick!

Much appreciated!

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**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex026/uploads/nodered/original/1X/d073cd938eafa2e558d7c2cd59003b3ef4963033.png) [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [1 May 2020 07:56 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/node-red-projects-encryption-question/22474/4 "2020-05-01T07:56:43Z")

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