diff --git a/src/cli/operations/deploy/__tests__/pre-deploy-identity.test.ts b/src/cli/operations/deploy/__tests__/pre-deploy-identity.test.ts
index a26d60ecf..d2757a2a0 100644
--- a/src/cli/operations/deploy/__tests__/pre-deploy-identity.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/operations/deploy/__tests__/pre-deploy-identity.test.ts
@@ -12,7 +12,9 @@ const {
   mockSetTokenVaultKmsKey,
   mockReadEnvFile,
   mockGetCredentialProvider,
+  mockGetApiKeyProvider,
   mockOAuth2ProviderExists,
+  mockGetOAuth2Provider,
   mockCreateOAuth2Provider,
   mockUpdateOAuth2Provider,
 } = vi.hoisted(() => ({
@@ -21,7 +23,9 @@ const {
   mockSetTokenVaultKmsKey: vi.fn(),
   mockReadEnvFile: vi.fn(),
   mockGetCredentialProvider: vi.fn(),
+  mockGetApiKeyProvider: vi.fn(),
   mockOAuth2ProviderExists: vi.fn(),
+  mockGetOAuth2Provider: vi.fn(),
   mockCreateOAuth2Provider: vi.fn(),
   mockUpdateOAuth2Provider: vi.fn(),
 }));
@@ -47,9 +51,11 @@ vi.mock('@aws-sdk/client-bedrock-agentcore-control', () => ({
 vi.mock('../../identity/index.js', () => ({
   apiKeyProviderExists: vi.fn(),
   createApiKeyProvider: vi.fn(),
+  getApiKeyProvider: mockGetApiKeyProvider,
   setTokenVaultKmsKey: mockSetTokenVaultKmsKey,
   updateApiKeyProvider: vi.fn(),
   oAuth2ProviderExists: mockOAuth2ProviderExists,
+  getOAuth2Provider: mockGetOAuth2Provider,
   createOAuth2Provider: mockCreateOAuth2Provider,
   updateOAuth2Provider: mockUpdateOAuth2Provider,
 }));
@@ -206,6 +212,56 @@ describe('setupApiKeyProviders - KMS key reuse via GetTokenVault', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('setupApiKeyCredentialProvider - secretless linking', () => {
+  afterEach(() => vi.clearAllMocks());
+
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    mockReadEnvFile.mockResolvedValue({});
+    mockGetCredentialProvider.mockReturnValue({});
+  });
+
+  const projectSpec = {
+    name: 'test-project',
+    credentials: [{ name: 'openai', authorizerType: 'ApiKeyCredentialProvider' }],
+    runtimes: [],
+  };
+
+  it('links an existing provider by name when no local secret exists', async () => {
+    mockGetApiKeyProvider.mockResolvedValue({
+      success: true,
+      credentialProviderArn: 'arn:aws:bedrock-agentcore:us-east-1:123:credential-provider/openai',
+    });
+
+    const result = await setupApiKeyProviders({
+      projectSpec: projectSpec as any,
+      configBaseDir: '/tmp',
+      region: 'us-east-1',
+    });
+
+    expect(result.hasErrors).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.results).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(result.results[0]!.status).toBe('linked');
+    expect(result.results[0]!.credentialProviderArn).toBe(
+      'arn:aws:bedrock-agentcore:us-east-1:123:credential-provider/openai'
+    );
+    expect(mockGetApiKeyProvider).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.anything(), 'openai');
+  });
+
+  it('errors when no local secret and no remote provider exists', async () => {
+    mockGetApiKeyProvider.mockResolvedValue({ success: false, error: new Error('ResourceNotFoundException') });
+
+    const result = await setupApiKeyProviders({
+      projectSpec: projectSpec as any,
+      configBaseDir: '/tmp',
+      region: 'us-east-1',
+    });
+
+    expect(result.hasErrors).toBe(true);
+    expect(result.results[0]!.status).toBe('error');
+    expect(result.results[0]!.error?.message).toContain('no existing AgentCore Identity API key credential provider');
+  });
+});
+
 describe('hasIdentityOAuthProviders', () => {
   it('returns true when OAuthCredentialProvider exists', () => {
     const projectSpec = {
@@ -280,6 +336,38 @@ describe('setupOAuth2Providers', () => {
     vi.clearAllMocks();
   });
 
+  it('links an existing OAuth2 provider by name when client credentials are missing', async () => {
+    mockReadEnvFile.mockResolvedValue({});
+    mockGetOAuth2Provider.mockResolvedValue({
+      success: true,
+      credentialProviderArn: 'arn:aws:bedrock-agentcore:us-east-1:123:credential-provider/test-oauth',
+      clientSecretArn: 'arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123:secret:test-oauth',
+      callbackUrl: 'https://callback.example.com',
+    });
+
+    const projectSpec = {
+      credentials: [{ name: 'test-oauth', authorizerType: 'OAuthCredentialProvider' }],
+    };
+
+    const result = await setupOAuth2Providers({
+      projectSpec: projectSpec as any,
+      configBaseDir: '/tmp',
+      region: 'us-east-1',
+    });
+
+    expect(result.hasErrors).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.results).toHaveLength(1);
+    expect(result.results[0]!.status).toBe('linked');
+    expect(result.results[0]!.credentialProviderArn).toBe(
+      'arn:aws:bedrock-agentcore:us-east-1:123:credential-provider/test-oauth'
+    );
+    expect(result.results[0]!.clientSecretArn).toBe('arn:aws:secretsmanager:us-east-1:123:secret:test-oauth');
+    expect(result.results[0]!.callbackUrl).toBe('https://callback.example.com');
+    expect(mockGetOAuth2Provider).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.anything(), 'test-oauth');
+    expect(mockCreateOAuth2Provider).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+    expect(mockUpdateOAuth2Provider).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
+  });
+
   it('creates OAuth2 provider when it does not exist', async () => {
     mockReadEnvFile.mockResolvedValue({
       AGENTCORE_CREDENTIAL_TEST_OAUTH_CLIENT_ID: 'client123',
@@ -350,8 +438,9 @@ describe('setupOAuth2Providers', () => {
     expect(mockUpdateOAuth2Provider).toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it('skips when env vars are missing', async () => {
+  it('errors when env vars are missing and provider cannot be linked', async () => {
     mockReadEnvFile.mockResolvedValue({});
+    mockGetOAuth2Provider.mockResolvedValue({ success: false, error: new Error('ResourceNotFoundException') });
 
     const projectSpec = {
       credentials: [{ name: 'test-oauth', authorizerType: 'OAuthCredentialProvider' }],
@@ -363,10 +452,11 @@ describe('setupOAuth2Providers', () => {
       region: 'us-east-1',
     });
 
-    expect(result.hasErrors).toBe(false);
+    expect(result.hasErrors).toBe(true);
     expect(result.results).toHaveLength(1);
-    expect(result.results[0]!.status).toBe('skipped');
+    expect(result.results[0]!.status).toBe('error');
     expect(result.results[0]!.error?.message).toContain('Missing');
+    expect(result.results[0]!.error?.message).toContain('no existing AgentCore Identity OAuth2 credential provider');
   });
 
   it('returns error on failure', async () => {
diff --git a/src/cli/operations/deploy/pre-deploy-identity.ts b/src/cli/operations/deploy/pre-deploy-identity.ts
index d69e722d1..6f2beda99 100644
--- a/src/cli/operations/deploy/pre-deploy-identity.ts
+++ b/src/cli/operations/deploy/pre-deploy-identity.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ import {
   apiKeyProviderExists,
   createApiKeyProvider,
   createOAuth2Provider,
+  getApiKeyProvider,
+  getOAuth2Provider,
   oAuth2ProviderExists,
   setTokenVaultKmsKey,
   updateApiKeyProvider,
@@ -43,7 +45,7 @@ import { join } from 'path';
 
 export interface ApiKeyProviderSetupResult {
   providerName: string;
-  status: 'created' | 'updated' | 'exists' | 'skipped' | 'error';
+  status: 'created' | 'updated' | 'exists' | 'linked' | 'skipped' | 'error';
   credentialProviderArn?: string;
   error?: Error;
 }
@@ -173,10 +175,24 @@ async function setupApiKeyCredentialProvider(
   const apiKey = credentials.get(envVarName);
 
   if (!apiKey) {
+    // No local secret to create/update from. Link an existing provider of the same
+    // name (created in the console, another project, or via IaC) so its ARN reaches
+    // deployed state for CDK/gateway wiring.
+    const existing = await getApiKeyProvider(client, credential.name);
+    if (existing.success) {
+      return {
+        providerName: credential.name,
+        status: 'linked',
+        credentialProviderArn: existing.credentialProviderArn,
+      };
+    }
+
     return {
       providerName: credential.name,
-      status: 'skipped',
-      error: new Error(`No ${envVarName} found in agentcore/.env.local`),
+      status: 'error',
+      error: new MissingCredentialsError(
+        `No ${envVarName} found in agentcore/.env.local and no existing AgentCore Identity API key credential provider named "${credential.name}" was found.`
+      ),
     };
   }
 
@@ -332,7 +348,7 @@ export function assertEnvFileExists(projectSpec: AgentCoreProjectSpec, configBas
 
 export interface OAuth2ProviderSetupResult {
   providerName: string;
-  status: 'created' | 'updated' | 'skipped' | 'error';
+  status: 'created' | 'updated' | 'linked' | 'skipped' | 'error';
   error?: Error;
   credentialProviderArn?: string;
   clientSecretArn?: string;
@@ -403,21 +419,48 @@ async function setupSingleOAuth2Provider(
   const clientSecret = credentials.get(clientSecretEnvVar);
 
   if (!clientId || !clientSecret) {
+    // No local secret to create/update from. Link an existing provider of the same
+    // name (created in the console, another project, or via IaC) so its ARN reaches
+    // deployed state for CDK/gateway wiring.
+    const existing = await getOAuth2Provider(client, credential.name);
+    if (existing.success) {
+      return {
+        providerName: credential.name,
+        status: 'linked',
+        credentialProviderArn: existing.credentialProviderArn,
+        clientSecretArn: existing.clientSecretArn,
+        callbackUrl: existing.callbackUrl,
+      };
+    }
+
     return {
       providerName: credential.name,
-      status: 'skipped',
-      error: new MissingCredentialsError(`Missing ${clientIdEnvVar} or ${clientSecretEnvVar} in agentcore/.env.local`),
+      status: 'error',
+      error: new MissingCredentialsError(
+        `Missing ${clientIdEnvVar} or ${clientSecretEnvVar} in agentcore/.env.local and no existing AgentCore Identity OAuth2 credential provider named "${credential.name}" was found.`
+      ),
     };
   }
 
   // Imported OAuth providers may not have a discoveryUrl (provider already exists in Identity service).
-  // Skip create/update since we can't build a valid config without it.
+  // We can't build a valid create/update config without it, so link the existing provider by name.
   if (!credential.discoveryUrl) {
+    const existing = await getOAuth2Provider(client, credential.name);
+    if (existing.success) {
+      return {
+        providerName: credential.name,
+        status: 'linked',
+        credentialProviderArn: existing.credentialProviderArn,
+        clientSecretArn: existing.clientSecretArn,
+        callbackUrl: existing.callbackUrl,
+      };
+    }
+
     return {
       providerName: credential.name,
-      status: 'skipped',
+      status: 'error',
       error: new MissingCredentialsError(
-        `No discoveryUrl configured for "${credential.name}". Provider already exists in Identity service — credentials in .env.local will be ignored.`
+        `No discoveryUrl configured for "${credential.name}" and no existing AgentCore Identity OAuth2 credential provider with that name was found.`
       ),
     };
   }
diff --git a/src/cli/operations/identity/__tests__/api-key-credential-provider.test.ts b/src/cli/operations/identity/__tests__/api-key-credential-provider.test.ts
index 8018b6c1e..d4235f2a7 100644
--- a/src/cli/operations/identity/__tests__/api-key-credential-provider.test.ts
+++ b/src/cli/operations/identity/__tests__/api-key-credential-provider.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import {
   apiKeyProviderExists,
   createApiKeyProvider,
+  getApiKeyProvider,
   setTokenVaultKmsKey,
   updateApiKeyProvider,
 } from '../api-key-credential-provider.js';
@@ -62,6 +63,26 @@ describe('apiKeyProviderExists', () => {
   });
 });
 
+describe('getApiKeyProvider', () => {
+  afterEach(() => vi.clearAllMocks());
+
+  it('returns the credentialProviderArn when provider exists', async () => {
+    mockSend.mockResolvedValue({ credentialProviderArn: 'arn:aws:bedrock:us-east-1:123:provider/prov' });
+
+    expect(await getApiKeyProvider(makeMockClient(), 'prov')).toEqual({
+      success: true,
+      credentialProviderArn: 'arn:aws:bedrock:us-east-1:123:provider/prov',
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('returns failure when provider does not exist', async () => {
+    mockSend.mockRejectedValue(new MockResourceNotFoundException());
+
+    const result = await getApiKeyProvider(makeMockClient(), 'prov');
+    expect(result.success).toBe(false);
+  });
+});
+
 describe('createApiKeyProvider', () => {
   afterEach(() => vi.clearAllMocks());
 
diff --git a/src/cli/operations/identity/api-key-credential-provider.ts b/src/cli/operations/identity/api-key-credential-provider.ts
index 0d8040371..be90f3317 100644
--- a/src/cli/operations/identity/api-key-credential-provider.ts
+++ b/src/cli/operations/identity/api-key-credential-provider.ts
@@ -34,6 +34,26 @@ export async function apiKeyProviderExists(
   }
 }
 
+/**
+ * Get an existing API key credential provider's ARN by name.
+ * Used to link a provider that was created outside the project (console, another
+ * project, IaC) when no local secret is available to create/update it.
+ */
+export async function getApiKeyProvider(
+  client: BedrockAgentCoreControlClient,
+  providerName: string
+): Promise<Result<{ credentialProviderArn: string }>> {
+  try {
+    const response = await client.send(new GetApiKeyCredentialProviderCommand({ name: providerName }));
+    if (!response.credentialProviderArn) {
+      return err(toError('No credentialProviderArn in response'));
+    }
+    return ok({ credentialProviderArn: response.credentialProviderArn });
+  } catch (error) {
+    return err(toError(error));
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * Create an API key credential provider.
  * Returns success even if provider already exists (idempotent).
diff --git a/src/cli/operations/identity/index.ts b/src/cli/operations/identity/index.ts
index 92a5b40a1..25dad28ec 100644
--- a/src/cli/operations/identity/index.ts
+++ b/src/cli/operations/identity/index.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 export {
   apiKeyProviderExists,
   createApiKeyProvider,
+  getApiKeyProvider,
   setTokenVaultKmsKey,
   updateApiKeyProvider,
 } from './api-key-credential-provider';
diff --git a/src/cli/tui/hooks/useCdkPreflight.ts b/src/cli/tui/hooks/useCdkPreflight.ts
index b2462130e..3ca67e75d 100644
--- a/src/cli/tui/hooks/useCdkPreflight.ts
+++ b/src/cli/tui/hooks/useCdkPreflight.ts
@@ -799,6 +799,8 @@ export function useCdkPreflight(options: PreflightOptions): PreflightResult {
               logger.log(`Updated API key provider: ${result.providerName}`);
             } else if (result.status === 'exists') {
               logger.log(`API key provider exists: ${result.providerName}`);
+            } else if (result.status === 'linked') {
+              logger.log(`Linked API key provider: ${result.providerName}`);
             } else if (result.status === 'skipped') {
               logger.log(`Skipped ${result.providerName}: ${result.error?.message}`);
             } else if (result.status === 'error') {
@@ -842,6 +844,8 @@ export function useCdkPreflight(options: PreflightOptions): PreflightResult {
               logger.log(`Created OAuth provider: ${result.providerName}`);
             } else if (result.status === 'updated') {
               logger.log(`Updated OAuth provider: ${result.providerName}`);
+            } else if (result.status === 'linked') {
+              logger.log(`Linked OAuth provider: ${result.providerName}`);
             } else if (result.status === 'skipped') {
               logger.log(`Skipped ${result.providerName}: ${result.error?.message}`);
             } else if (result.status === 'error') {