# Use of credentials other than from flows
**URL:** https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-credentials-other-than-from-flows/76474
**Category:** Feature Requests
**Created:** [12 March 2023 13:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-credentials-other-than-from-flows/76474 "2023-03-12T13:50:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [12 March 2023 13:50 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-credentials-other-than-from-flows/76474/1 "2023-03-12T13:50:36Z")
I am not sure if this is a feature request or if there is already a solution, but am posting here as there doesn't seem to be a more appropriate category.
node-red-mcu-plugin has a requirement to store credentials, for example for wifi SSID/key. Ideally those would be stored with the node-red credentials. It seems however, that, very sensibly, credentials get discarded if they are not referenced in the flows file, which they would not be in this case. Is there good solution to this?
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### Author:  [@knolleary](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/knolleary)
#### Post date: [12 March 2023 17:14 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-credentials-other-than-from-flows/76474/2 "2023-03-12T17:14:29Z")
Is there any reason the mcu-plugin couldn't add a config node to the flow to store those things?
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### Author:  [@Colin](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/Colin)
#### Post date: [13 March 2023 08:28 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-credentials-other-than-from-flows/76474/3 "2023-03-13T08:28:29Z")
I think the problem may be that the plugin is not a set of nodes. It doesn't have any presence in the flows file.
@ralphwetzel could this be a valid solution?
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### Author:  [@ralphwetzel](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/ralphwetzel)
#### Post date: [13 March 2023 08:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-credentials-other-than-from-flows/76474/4 "2023-03-13T08:44:28Z")
> [@Colin](#):
>
> could this be a valid solution?
It can't. There's a n:n relation between flows & build configurations. Each build config could have credentials.
By theory everything is possible: Managing this setup via config node(s) yet will create a nightmare of bookkeeping. Thus: There are better ways...
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### Author:  [@system](https://discourse.nodered.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [12 May 2023 08:44 UTC](https://discourse.nodered.org/t/use-of-credentials-other-than-from-flows/76474/5 "2023-05-12T08:44:39Z")
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