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Keep secret API keys out of browser code, URLs, and source repositories. Store them where only the application component that needs them can access them, restrict what they can do, and monitor their use. If a key is exposed, revoke or rotate it promptly, move applications to a replacement, and check for suspicious activity.
An API key is a credential, much like a house key—but first check which doors it opens. Some keys associate requests with a project for billing or quota without identifying a user. Others, such as Google Cloud authorization keys bound to a service account, can act as that account. The possible damage depends on the credential’s actual permissions, not just its name.
What does an API key allow someone to do?
An API key is a value an application presents when making requests to an API. Treat it as a credential: anyone who obtains it may be able to use it, subject to the provider’s restrictions and the authority attached to that credential.
Do not assume all API keys grant the same access. Google Cloud distinguishes standard API keys from authorization keys. A standard key associates a request with a project for billing and quota but does not itself identify a principal. An authorization key bound to a service account acts as that service account. In the second case, the service account’s authority matters to the key’s risk.
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Before deciding where to put a key or how urgently to respond to exposure, establish what it can access. Check which APIs it can call, what account or project it is associated with, and which applications or origins are permitted to use it. The provider’s terminology and controls differ, so consult the documentation for the particular credential and service.
How do I keep my API key secret?
Keep secret keys on a server-side component, restrict their permitted use, and avoid copying them into places that are widely visible or automatically recorded. A secret embedded in a client application is not secret from the people who run that application.
Keep secrets out of client code
Do not embed a secret API key in a website’s frontend or another client application. Code delivered to a browser or other user-controlled device can be inspected, so hiding the key in a variable or bundling step does not make it confidential. Where the API design permits, have a server-side component hold the key and add it to requests on the application’s behalf.
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This changes the handling path: the client sends its request to your server, and the server makes the API request using the secret. That does not eliminate the need to control access to the server or limit the key’s authority, but it keeps the secret out of the client code. If a particular API requires a client-visible key, use the provider’s supported application restrictions and avoid treating that key as a general-purpose secret.
Restrict what can use the key
Where the provider supports them, apply both API restrictions and application restrictions. API restrictions limit which APIs a key can call; application restrictions limit which websites, IP addresses, or applications can use it. These controls reduce the ways a copied key can be used, but they do not make it safe to publish a secret in code.
Google Cloud warns that unrestricted API keys are insecure and recommends applying both kinds of restrictions. Remove keys that are no longer needed, and monitor API usage so that unexpected use can be investigated.
Keep keys out of URLs and repositories
Avoid putting API keys in URL query parameters when the provider offers a safer header or client-library method. URLs can be recorded or scanned, which can expose credentials. Google Cloud specifically cautions that query parameters put a key in the URL and expose it to theft through URL scans.
Do not commit secrets to a source repository. Use secret scanning or an equivalent detection step, including in development or CI workflows where appropriate. AWS guidance recommends scanning repositories and integrating detection into development or CI/CD processes. A scan helps find accidental exposure; it is not a substitute for keeping secrets out of commits.
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Where should I store an API key?
Prefer an identity or short-lived credential when the platform supports one. If a long-lived secret is necessary, store it using a controlled mechanism that limits who can retrieve it and supports auditing and rotation.
A managed secrets service can centralize storage and provide controlled access through an API. AWS describes centralized storage, auditability, and automated distribution or rotation as benefits of secrets management. Choose a method that fits the credential and application rather than assuming every secret belongs in the same place.
There is an important platform-specific qualification: Google Cloud’s service account key guidance says it does not recommend storing and rotating service account keys in Google Secret Manager when an application already has a Google-recognized identity. In that situation, the identity can authenticate directly. This guidance concerns Google Cloud service account keys and applications with a recognized identity; it is not a general objection to secret managers for other application secrets.
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Should I rotate API keys?
Yes, rotate keys when needed and retire credentials that are no longer in use, but use a sequence that avoids interrupting applications. The right schedule depends on the credential and provider: Google Cloud’s API key best-practices guidance says to rotate keys periodically but does not set a universal interval.
Use a planned replacement sequence
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Create a replacement key with the same restrictions as the existing key. Do not unintentionally give the new credential broader API or application access.
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Update each application or workload that uses the old key. Check all consumers rather than assuming there is only one.
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Verify that the updated applications work with the replacement key. Investigate failures before removing the credential they still depend on.
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Delete the old key after consumers have moved. Deleting it too early can interrupt service; leaving an obsolete key active longer than needed increases the number of credentials that must be protected.
Google Cloud gives this create, update, then delete sequence for API key rotation. Follow the provider’s procedure for other credential types rather than assuming that every key has the same rotation process.
Do not generalize the 90-day recommendation
Google Cloud recommends rotating service account keys at least every 90 days and rotating immediately if compromise is suspected. That interval is guidance for Google Cloud service account keys, not a universal schedule for all API keys. Apply the schedule and procedure documented for the credential you actually use.
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What should I do if I accidentally committed an API key?
Treat a committed key as exposed, even if you remove it from the latest version of the file. Revoke or rotate the credential promptly, update applications to use a replacement, and inspect usage for suspicious activity.
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Revoke or rotate the exposed credential. Use the provider’s control plane to disable the old key or replace it. AWS advises immediately rotating or revoking an exposed credential.
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Move application consumers to the replacement. Update the systems that depended on the exposed key and verify they work before retiring any replacement credential you still need.
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Review usage. Check available API usage information for unexpected activity. If the key could act as an account or service identity, consider its authority when deciding what activity to investigate.
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Remove the secret from repository history where applicable. A change to the current file does not erase earlier commits containing the key. AWS guidance for exposed credentials includes removing secrets from repository history. Follow your repository host’s procedure and coordinate with collaborators, since rewriting history affects the shared repository.
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Look for the same secret elsewhere. Check other files, branches, or application configurations where the credential may have been copied, then remove those uses and add detection to reduce the chance of another accidental commit.
Do not treat deleting a line, making a repository private, or removing a visible commit as proof that an exposed credential is safe to keep using. The priority is to invalidate the credential; repository cleanup addresses the copies left behind.
Which credential approach should I choose?
Compare approaches by lifetime, scope, handling path, and operational controls—not by a blanket claim that one storage option is always safest.
| Approach | Credential lifetime | Scope and handling | Operational considerations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long-lived API key | Remains valid until it is rotated or revoked according to the provider’s controls. | Restrict the APIs and applications, origins, or addresses permitted to use it where supported. Keep it out of client code and URL parameters. | Store with controlled access, monitor use, and plan how to rotate it. |
| Short-lived or temporary credential | Temporary rather than long-lived. | Use when the platform supports it and the application can obtain it through an appropriate identity or workflow. | AWS recommends replacing long-term credentials with short-term ones where feasible. |
| Workload identity | Avoids relying on a stored long-lived key when the platform provides a recognized identity for the workload. | The application authenticates through its identity instead of carrying a service account key. | Google Cloud recommends direct authentication through a recognized identity rather than storing and rotating a service account key in Secret Manager in that situation. |
The table describes broad handling choices, not interchangeable products or universal provider features. A credential that is short-lived can still be misused while valid, and a restricted key still needs careful handling. Start with the least persistent credential the platform supports, then limit the authority and exposure of anything that remains necessary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What habits make key handling easier to maintain?
Security controls work better when each credential has a clear owner and a deliberate lifecycle. Use these checks when adding or reviewing a key:
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Identify the credential type and the authority it represents before deciding its risk.
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Record which application or workload needs it and remove credentials with no active purpose.
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Apply API restrictions and application restrictions when the provider offers them.
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Keep secret values out of client code, URL query parameters, and repository commits.
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Use repository scanning or an equivalent detection control in development or CI workflows.
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Prefer an identity or temporary credential when available; otherwise use controlled storage, auditing, and a rotation process.
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Monitor API usage and know how to revoke a credential quickly if exposure is suspected.
Exact controls differ by provider, product, and credential. Use the documentation for the specific API key or identity you operate; the Google Cloud and AWS recommendations above are scoped to their own guidance, not a vendor-neutral standard.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is an API key the same as a password?
Both are credentials that should be protected, but an API key is generally presented by software when it calls an API. Its permissions and purpose depend on how the provider issued and configured it, so do not infer its authority from the word “key” alone.
Can I share an API key with a contractor or teammate?
Avoid distributing a shared secret more widely than necessary. Ask whether the person or workload can use an individual identity or a separately scoped credential instead; separate credentials make it easier to limit access and revoke one without disrupting everyone else.
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No. Changing repository visibility does not invalidate a credential or remove earlier commits that contain it. Treat the key as exposed and revoke or rotate it, then handle repository history cleanup separately.
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