1Password + AbsoluteTelnet/SSH on Windows

Use the 1Password SSH agent for password-free logins and click 1Password bookmarks (ssh://, sftp://) to launch AbsoluteTelnet/SSH in one step.

What this integration does

  • 1Password SSH agent: Keys live in your 1Password vault and are unlocked on demand. AbsoluteTelnet can authenticate via the agent without ever reading your private key.
  • 1Password Bookmarks: Store ssh:// and sftp:// URLs in 1Password items; clicking them opens AbsoluteTelnet, starts the connection and authenticates via the agent automatically
  • No direct edits to .ssh\config: On Windows, 1Password doesn’t write your SSH client config. It uses its own agent config and Windows integrations instead.

Why choose 1Password over OpenSSH/Pageant?

  • Centralized security: Keys stay in 1Password (with MFA, policies, and audit), not scattered across disk.
  • Consent & visibility: Per-request approvals and activity logs (see Developer Mode below).
  • Team workflows: Shared vaults and fine-grained access beat ad-hoc key files.

Step 1 — Turn on the 1Password SSH agent (Windows)

  1. Open the 1Password desktop app and sign in.
  2. Go to Settings → Developer.
  3. Click Set up SSH Agent (or toggle SSH Agent on).
  4. (Recommended) Enable ‘Generate SSH config file with bookmarked hosts’
  5. (Optional) Adjust authorization prompts (e.g., require approval per host/app).

What this does: Starts an OpenSSH-compatible agent on Windows and exposes approved identities to clients like AbsoluteTelnet/SSH.

Step 2 — Create or import an SSH key for login

  1. In any 1Password vault, click ‘New Item’
  2. Click ‘show more’ and choose ‘SSH Key’
  3. click ‘add private key’ and either generate a new key or import the key from a file if you already have one
  4. Save
  5. In the vault, you can now see the SSH Key object, including it’s public key.
  6. Copy the public key and append it to the ~/.ssh/authorized_keys on your server

Step 3 — Use 1Password bookmarks to launch AbsoluteTelnet/SSH

1Password items can store ssh:// and sftp:// URLs. Clicking them opens your system’s default app for those protocols — make that AbsoluteTelnet.

— Create the bookmark

  1. ‘Edit’ the SSH key you created above
  2. Click ‘add more’ and choose ‘URL’
  3. Add one or more URL fields, for example:
    • ssh://user@host
    • ssh://user@host:2222
    • sftp://user@host
    • sftp://user@host:2222/path (optional path)
    • SSH URLs will initiate a connection and start a shell
    • SFTP URLs without a path will connect and start the SFTP browser in the users default folder
    • SFTP URLs with a path that resolves to a folder will open the SFTP browser in that folder
    • SFTP URLs with a path that resolves to a file will download that file
  4. Save the item. You can keep both SSH and SFTP URLs in the same item.

— Set AbsoluteTelnet as default for SSH/SFTP URLs

  1. Open Windows Settings → Apps → Default apps.
  2. Select AbsoluteTelnet/SSH
  3. Assign AbsoluteTelnet to handle the SSH and SFTP URL protocols.

— Click to connect

  1. In 1Password, click the ssh:// or sftp:// URL.
  2. AbsoluteTelnet launches and starts the connection with the host/user/port from the URL.
  3. If the server accepts keys and your 1Password agent has an eligible key, you’ll authenticate without typing a password (you may see a 1Password approval prompt).

Supported bookmark types: ssh:// and sftp:// (with optional username, custom port, and SFTP path).

Optional — Developer Mode & agent activity logs

Agent logs are hidden until you enable Developer Mode.

  1. In 1Password, go to Settings → Developer and enable Developer Mode.
  2. Turn on Record and display activity (SSH agent logs) to see which key/app/host was used and whether a request was approved or denied.

About .ssh\config on Windows

1Password does not create or write your %USERPROFILE%\.ssh\config on Windows. If enabled in step 1, 1Password will write its own .ssh\1Password\config file that does this job.

1Password maintains an agent configuration of its own (separate from your SSH client config). You don’t usually edit this by hand; you control it from the 1Password app.

  • Why it matters: Lets you choose which vaults/keys are exposed, tailor prompts/approvals, and keep your Windows setup consistent across tools.
  • When to adjust: If you need to restrict which identities are offered to SSH clients or fine-tune approval behavior.

Troubleshooting

  • “Still asks for a password” — Ensure 1Password desktop is running and SSH Agent is enabled; confirm the correct public key is in the server’s ~/.ssh/authorized_keys. Turn on Developer Mode → agent logs to see which key was attempted.
  • “ssh:// doesn’t open AbsoluteTelnet” — Reassign default app handlers for SSH and SFTP in Windows Settings. Approve any browser prompts to open the external app.
  • “Wrong key offered” — Limit which identities 1Password exposes in the app settings. Avoid running multiple agents at once (e.g., Windows OpenSSH agent + 1Password) unless you know how your tools select an agent.

FAQs

Does 1Password edit my .ssh\config on Windows?

No. 1Password doesn’t create or modify your SSH client config on Windows. Most users don’t need to touch .ssh\config to use AbsoluteTelnet with the 1Password agent.

Can I store both SSH and SFTP bookmarks in one 1Password item?

Yes. Add multiple URL fields (e.g., one ssh:// and one sftp://). AbsoluteTelnet will use the right workflow based on the scheme.

Will 1Password prompt every time?

You can allowlist apps/hosts so future requests are silently approved, or keep prompts on for stricter control — configurable in the 1Password SSH agent settings.