diff --git a/.env.example b/.env.example
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..41da83d0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.env.example
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+# Environment variables go here, can be read by `python-dotenv` package:
+#
+#   `src/script.py`
+#   ----------------------------------------------------------------
+#    import dotenv
+#
+#    project_dir = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), os.pardir)
+#    dotenv_path = os.path.join(project_dir, '.env')
+#    dotenv.load_dotenv(dotenv_path)
+#   ----------------------------------------------------------------
+#
+# DO NOT ADD THIS FILE TO VERSION CONTROL!
+
+# get your own keys from https://old.reddit.com/prefs/apps/
+email=bot@example.org 
+USERNAME=usrname
+CLIENT_ID=XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
+CLIENT_SECRET=XXxxx111xxxXXXXXXXXXX
+PASSWORD=XXXXxxXX1XXX
+
+# LLM API keys
+OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-proj-XXX
+# from https://openrouter.ai/settings/keys
+OPEN_ROUTER_KEY=sk-or-v1-XXXX
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 47a7ac9f..98997ff9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@ This project uses [poetry](https://python-poetry.org/) for requirement and is se
 poetry install
 ~~~
 
+Then 
+~~~
+cp .env.example .env
+~~~
+Then fill out the api keys
+
 
 ## How to run