Documentation/Security/API Keys

API Keys

Managing API keys and secrets for Sensei AI.

Required API Keys

Supabase Keys

Database access credentials

NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL

Required

Your Supabase project URL

Example: https://abcdefgh.supabase.co

NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY

Required

Public anonymous key for client-side access

Safe to expose in browser

SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY

Required

Server-side key with full database access

Never expose this key publicly!

Where to find: Supabase Dashboard → Project Settings → API

OpenAI Key

For embeddings and chat completions

OPENAI_API_KEY

Required

OpenAI API key for GPT-4 and embeddings

Starts with: sk-...

Where to find: OpenAI Platform → API Keys

Setting Up Keys

Local Development

Create a .env.local file in the project root:

# Supabase
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your-anon-key
SUPABASE_SERVICE_ROLE_KEY=your-service-role-key

# OpenAI
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-your-openai-key

Vercel Deployment

1. Go to your Vercel project dashboard
2. Click Settings → Environment Variables
3. Add each key with its value
4. Redeploy for changes to take effect

Security Warning:

• Never commit API keys to version control
• Add .env.local to your .gitignore file
• Rotate keys immediately if exposed
• Use environment variables, not hardcoded values

Key Rotation

To rotate API keys safely:

1. Generate a new key in the provider's dashboard
2. Update the environment variable in Vercel
3. Trigger a new deployment
4. Verify the app works with the new key
5. Delete the old key from the provider