
Arize Prompt Optimization
Fix Arize ax CLI authentication and region settings so prompt optimization and tracing workflows can run without 401 errors.
Overview
arize-prompt-optimization is an agent skill most often used in Build (also Ship, Operate) that configures Arize ax CLI profiles and API authentication for prompt optimization workflows.
Install
npx skills add https://github.com/github/awesome-copilot --skill arize-prompt-optimizationWhat is this skill?
- Diagnose missing profiles, unset API keys, and 401 Unauthorized with ax profiles show
- Patch only broken fields via ax profiles update without wiping other settings
- Create profiles with ax profiles create while referencing ARIZE_API_KEY from the environment
- Explicit rule: never pass raw API keys on the command line—use $ARIZE_API_KEY only
- Region correction guidance (e.g. us-east-1b) when endpoints do not match your tenant
Adoption & trust: 900 installs on skills.sh; 34.6k GitHub stars; 3/3 security scanners passed (skills.sh audits).
What problem does it solve?
Your Arize ax commands fail with missing profiles, unset API keys, or 401 errors so prompt optimization cannot start.
Who is it for?
Indie builders using Arize ax who hit auth or profile errors right before running prompt optimization or LLM eval pipelines.
Skip if: Users who need full prompt-engineering curricula without Arize, or teams that forbid third-party LLM observability vendors.
When should I use this skill?
Arize ax authentication fails (401, missing profile, or wrong API key/region)—do not run these checks proactively per the skill guidance.
What do I get? / Deliverables
You have a valid ax profile with API key and region set via environment-backed updates, so optimization and tracing CLIs authenticate successfully.
- Working ax profile with API key and region configured
- Documented ax profiles show output confirming connection
Recommended Skills
Journey fit
Spans multiple journey phases - primary shelf plus alternate fits below.
Prompt optimization and LLM observability are configured while building agent features, before you rely on the same stack in production. The skill documents ax profile create/update commands—agent-tooling is the canonical shelf for CLI profile setup tied to Arize.
Where it fits
First-time ax install returns no profiles—you create one before wiring prompt eval scripts.
Staging prompt regression tests fail with 401 until you patch the active profile API key reference.
Production traces stop ingesting after a key rotation—profiles update restores connectivity without recreating the whole config.
How it compares
Use for Arize CLI profile repair, not as a replacement for generic .env secret management or non-Arize eval harnesses.
Common Questions / FAQ
Who is arize-prompt-optimization for?
Solo and small teams building agent or SaaS features who depend on Arize ax for prompt optimization and need the CLI profile layer working first.
When should I use arize-prompt-optimization?
During Build when onboarding Arize tooling, during Ship before staging prompt experiments, and during Operate when API keys expire or region mismatches cause 401 responses—only when authentication fails, not as a routine preflight.
Is arize-prompt-optimization safe to install?
Check the Security Audits panel on this Prism page; never paste API keys into chat or CLI flags—use ARIZE_API_KEY in your shell and rotate keys if they were exposed.
SKILL.md
READMESKILL.md - Arize Prompt Optimization
# ax Profile Setup Consult this when authentication fails (401, missing profile, missing API key). Do NOT run these checks proactively. Use this when there is no profile, or a profile has incorrect settings (wrong API key, wrong region, etc.). ## 1. Inspect the current state ```bash ax profiles show ``` Look at the output to understand what's configured: - `API Key: (not set)` or missing → key needs to be created/updated - No profile output or "No profiles found" → no profile exists yet - Connected but getting `401 Unauthorized` → key is wrong or expired - Connected but wrong endpoint/region → region needs to be updated ## 2. Fix a misconfigured profile If a profile exists but one or more settings are wrong, patch only what's broken. **Never pass a raw API key value as a flag.** Always reference it via the `ARIZE_API_KEY` environment variable. If the variable is not already set in the shell, instruct the user to set it first, then run the command: ```bash # If ARIZE_API_KEY is already exported in the shell: ax profiles update --api-key $ARIZE_API_KEY # Fix the region (no secret involved — safe to run directly) ax profiles update --region us-east-1b # Fix both at once ax profiles update --api-key $ARIZE_API_KEY --region us-east-1b ``` `update` only changes the fields you specify — all other settings are preserved. If no profile name is given, the active profile is updated. ## 3. Create a new profile If no profile exists, or if the existing profile needs to point to a completely different setup (different org, different region): **Always reference the key via `$ARIZE_API_KEY`, never inline a raw value.** ```bash # Requires ARIZE_API_KEY to be exported in the shell first ax profiles create --api-key $ARIZE_API_KEY # Create with a region ax profiles create --api-key $ARIZE_API_KEY --region us-east-1b # Create a named profile ax profiles create work --api-key $ARIZE_API_KEY --region us-east-1b ``` To use a named profile with any `ax` command, add `-p NAME`: ```bash ax spans export PROJECT -p work ``` ## 4. Getting the API key **Never ask the user to paste their API key into the chat. Never log, echo, or display an API key value.** If `ARIZE_API_KEY` is not already set, instruct the user to export it in their shell: ```bash export ARIZE_API_KEY="..." # user pastes their key here in their own terminal ``` They can find their key at https://app.arize.com/admin > API Keys. Recommend they create a **scoped service key** (not a personal user key) — service keys are not tied to an individual account and are safer for programmatic use. Keys are space-scoped — make sure they copy the key for the correct space. Once the user confirms the variable is set, proceed with `ax profiles create --api-key $ARIZE_API_KEY` or `ax profiles update --api-key $ARIZE_API_KEY` as described above. ## 5. Verify After any create or update: ```bash ax profiles show ``` Confirm the API key and region are correct, then retry the original command. ## Space There is no profile flag for space. Save it as an environment variable — accepts a space **name** (e.g., `my-workspace`) or a base64 space **ID** (e.g., `U3BhY2U6...`). Find yours with `ax spaces list -o json`. **macOS/Linux** — add to `~/.zshrc` or `~/.bashrc`: ```bash export ARIZE_SPACE="my-workspace" # name or base64 ID ``` Then `source ~/.zshrc` (or restart terminal). **Windows (PowerShell):** ```powershell [System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('ARIZE_SPACE', 'my-workspace', 'User') ``` Restart terminal for it to take effect. ## Save Credentials for Future Use At the **end of the session**, if the user manually provided any credentials during this conversation **and** those values were NOT already loaded from a saved profile or environment variable, offer to save them. **Skip this entirely if:** - The API key was already loaded from an existing profile or `ARIZE_API_KEY` env var - The space was already set via `ARIZE_SPACE` env var - The user only used base64 pr