How to Configure a Network Proxy for Agent Reach in Restricted Environments

Agent Reach stores proxy settings in ~/.agent-reach/config.yaml and exposes them to downstream tools via the HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables, configurable through either the install or configure CLI commands.

Agent Reach is an open-source automation framework developed by Panniantong that requires network connectivity for external service integrations. When operating in restricted network environments, you must configure a network proxy for Agent Reach to ensure agents can reach external APIs and services. This configuration is handled through a centralized YAML-based configuration system managed by the Config class.

Configuration Storage and Architecture

Agent Reach persists runtime settings in a per-user YAML file located at ~/.agent-reach/config.yaml. The Config class in agent_reach/config.py manages this file, providing methods like set(), get(), and save() to manipulate key-value pairs.

When you configure a network proxy, the system writes the value to two keys within this file:

• proxy — the primary key used by current agent implementations
• bilibili_proxy — a legacy key maintained for backward compatibility

The proxy string is treated as opaque configuration data. Agent Reach does not perform network operations through the proxy itself; instead, it exports the value as standard HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables before invoking external tools.

CLI Methods for Proxy Configuration

The command-line interface in agent_reach/cli.py provides two distinct entry points for setting proxy values depending on your installation stage.

Option 1: Configure During Installation

When running the initial setup, pass the --proxy flag to the install sub-command. According to the source code in agent_reach/cli.py (lines 68-71 for the flag definition and lines 36-44 for the handling logic), the installer accepts the flag and persists it via the Config class:

agent-reach install --proxy "http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080"

Option 2: Configure After Installation

If you need to add or update a proxy on an existing installation, use the configure sub-command. The handler for this command (lines 62-70 in agent_reach/cli.py) stores the supplied string under both the proxy and bilibili_proxy keys via Config.set(key, value):

agent-reach configure proxy "http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080"

Both methods ultimately call Config.save() to persist the changes to disk.

How Downstream Tools Consume the Proxy

Once stored, agents retrieve the proxy value using Config.get("proxy") before invoking channel-specific tools. The framework exports the configuration as environment variables (HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY) that standard HTTP libraries recognize.

This design benefits integrations with external channels such as youtube, twitter, and reddit, allowing these tools to transparently route traffic through your corporate or restricted gateway without requiring tool-specific proxy configurations.

Verifying Your Proxy Configuration

To confirm that Agent Reach has correctly stored your network proxy settings, inspect the configuration file directly:

cat ~/.agent-reach/config.yaml

Expected output should include both keys:

proxy: http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080
bilibili_proxy: http://user:pass@proxy.example.com:8080

If these values appear as expected, agents will automatically apply them when executing network-dependent operations.

Summary

• Agent Reach stores proxy settings in ~/.agent-reach/config.yaml, managed by the Config class in agent_reach/config.py.
• Use agent-reach install --proxy "<url>" for initial setup or agent-reach configure proxy "<url>" for post-installation updates.
• The system writes the proxy to both proxy and bilibili_proxy keys for backward compatibility.
• Agents export the configured value as HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY environment variables for downstream channel tools.
• The proxy string is opaque—Agent Reach does not validate connectivity, leaving network operations to the external utilities that consume these environment variables.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I configure the proxy without using the CLI?

Yes. Because Agent Reach uses a standard YAML file at ~/.agent-reach/config.yaml, you can manually edit this file with any text editor. Add or modify the proxy key directly, following standard YAML syntax. The Config class will read this value the next time an agent initializes.

Does Agent Reach support authenticated proxies?

Yes. The proxy configuration accepts any valid HTTP or HTTPS URL string, including those containing embedded credentials. Pass the full URL with authentication to the --proxy flag or configure command, such as http://username:password@proxy.company.com:8080. The framework stores and exports this string verbatim to the environment variables.

Which network operations in Agent Reach use the proxy settings?

Agent Reach itself does not perform direct network operations. Instead, the proxy settings are consumed by external channel integrations—specifically youtube, twitter, and reddit agents—when they invoke upstream utilities. The framework sets HTTP_PROXY and HTTPS_PROXY before spawning these processes, ensuring compliant traffic routing in restricted environments.

Where is the proxy configuration logic implemented in the source code?

The configuration persistence logic resides in agent_reach/config.py within the Config class methods set() and save(). The CLI entry points are implemented in agent_reach/cli.py: the --proxy flag definition appears at lines 68-71, installation-time handling at lines 36-44, and the configure sub-command handler at lines 62-70. Test coverage for these features exists in tests/test_cli.py (lines 158 and 174).

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}