diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 003b816..273f648 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,21 @@
 .bin/
 data-dev/
+
+# Local deployment/config secrets
+.env
+docker-compose.override.yml
+example/autoupdate.json
+
+# Python
+__pycache__/
+*.py[cod]
+
+# macOS
+.DS_Store
+.AppleDouble
+.LSOverride
+Icon?
+._*
+.Spotlight-V100
+.Trashes
+.fseventsd
diff --git a/example/autoupdate.py b/example/autoupdate.py
index 2fcb4a4..07f297f 100644
--- a/example/autoupdate.py
+++ b/example/autoupdate.py
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ class UpdateError(RuntimeError):
 
 
 ReleaseHandler = Callable[[Path, dict[str, Any]], None]
+DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME = "autoupdate.json"
+DEFAULT_CONFIG = {
+    "base_url": "https://updates.example.com",
+    "api_key": "upsk_replace_me",
+    "project_slug": "example-project",
+}
 
 
 def ensure_updated(
@@ -37,7 +43,17 @@ def ensure_updated(
     If `apply_update` is provided, it receives `(downloaded_artifact_path, release_dict)`
     and is responsible for applying the downloaded artifact before restart.
     """
-    if not api_key or api_key == "upsk_replace_me":
+    if _is_placeholder_config(
+        {
+            "base_url": base_url,
+            "api_key": api_key,
+            "project_slug": project_slug,
+        }
+    ):
+        print("autoupdate: configure autoupdate.json to enable updates")
+        return False
+
+    if not api_key:
         raise UpdateError("set a real API key before calling ensure_updated")
 
     script_path = _current_script_path()
@@ -51,6 +67,8 @@ def ensure_updated(
     if not latest_version or latest_version == current_version:
         return False
 
+    print(f"autoupdate: updating {current_version} -> {latest_version}")
+
     download_url = urljoin(base_url.rstrip("/") + "/", str(release.get("download_url") or ""))
     if not download_url:
         raise UpdateError("latest release does not contain a download URL")
@@ -75,6 +93,27 @@ def ensure_updated(
     return True
 
 
+def ensure_updated_from_config(
+    current_version: str,
+    config_path: str | Path | None = None,
+    apply_update: ReleaseHandler | None = None,
+) -> bool:
+    """
+    Load update settings from JSON and run the update check.
+
+    If `config_path` is omitted, `autoupdate.json` is loaded from the same
+    directory as the currently running script.
+    """
+    config = _load_config(config_path)
+    return ensure_updated(
+        base_url=config["base_url"],
+        api_key=config["api_key"],
+        project_slug=config["project_slug"],
+        current_version=current_version,
+        apply_update=apply_update,
+    )
+
+
 def _current_script_path() -> Path:
     main_module = sys.modules.get("__main__")
     main_file = getattr(main_module, "__file__", None)
@@ -83,6 +122,52 @@ def _current_script_path() -> Path:
     return Path(main_file).resolve()
 
 
+def _default_config_path() -> Path:
+    return _current_script_path().with_name(DEFAULT_CONFIG_NAME)
+
+
+def _load_config(config_path: str | Path | None) -> dict[str, str]:
+    path = (
+        Path(config_path).expanduser()
+        if config_path is not None
+        else _default_config_path()
+    )
+    try:
+        with path.open("r", encoding="utf-8") as config_file:
+            payload = json.load(config_file)
+    except FileNotFoundError:
+        _write_default_config(path)
+        return DEFAULT_CONFIG.copy()
+    except json.JSONDecodeError as exc:
+        raise UpdateError(f"update config file is not valid JSON: {path}") from exc
+
+    if not isinstance(payload, dict):
+        raise UpdateError(f"update config must be a JSON object: {path}")
+
+    config: dict[str, str] = {}
+    for key in ("base_url", "api_key", "project_slug"):
+        value = payload.get(key)
+        if not isinstance(value, str) or not value.strip():
+            raise UpdateError(f"update config field {key!r} is required: {path}")
+        config[key] = value.strip()
+
+    return config
+
+
+def _write_default_config(path: Path) -> None:
+    path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+    with path.open("w", encoding="utf-8") as config_file:
+        json.dump(DEFAULT_CONFIG, config_file, indent=2)
+        config_file.write("\n")
+
+
+def _is_placeholder_config(config: dict[str, str]) -> bool:
+    return any(
+        config.get(key, "").strip() == value
+        for key, value in DEFAULT_CONFIG.items()
+    )
+
+
 def _make_request(url: str, api_key: str, accept_json: bool = False) -> Request:
     headers = {
         "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}",
diff --git a/example/update_client.py b/example/update_client.py
index 3bf6b3d..dbc0237 100644
--- a/example/update_client.py
+++ b/example/update_client.py
@@ -1,12 +1,7 @@
-from autoupdate import ensure_updated
+from autoupdate import ensure_updated_from_config
 
-ensure_updated(
-    base_url="http://127.0.0.1:8080",
-    api_key="upsk_zdQu4gosIJjvIaQfn5A_ux9msFyDfEnc8c29F0ZCTmk",
-    project_slug="test",
-    current_version="0.1.3",
-)
+ver = "0.1.1"
 
+ensure_updated_from_config(current_version=ver)
 
-
-print("TEst")
+print(f"TEst {ver}")