Netlify einvironment variables

Support
1

PLEASE help us help you by writing a good post!

The better the post - the faster the answer.

I tried to get the environment variable set in the Netlify page for the site and did not get the environment variable. This is a web app using javascript.

The environment variable was read with

//const { OPENAI_API_KEY } = process.env;
// also tried process.env.KEY
Then through another Discord channel
const OPENAI_API_KEY = import.meta.env.OPENAI_API_KEY;
// The helper was using typescipt

A console.log on the key reviels nothing.

2

You are not using Netlify Functions. Where are you using the variables? If you’re trying to use the variable in the client-side script, you’re basically exposing the variable to the users.

3

Here is part of the code that shows how and where the key is used and got.

try {
console.log(“in callai”);
const openai = new OpenAI({
apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY // the key!
})
const response = await openai.chat.completions.create({
model: ‘gpt-3.5-turbo’,
messages: messages
})
console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);
…

4

Yes, but it looks like you’re doing this from the frontend? As mentioned, if you use environment variables in the frontend, there’s no point in using environment variables at all.

5

What am I then suppost to do. Please provide the code.

6

We’re not going to provide code - we don’t provide code-level support. You should look into using server side functionality like Long-running Edge Functions | Edge Functions on Netlify (edge-functions-examples.netlify.app). Inside that, you can then use your environment variables without exposing them to anyone.

7

The code line : const OPENAI_API_KEY = import.meta.env.OPENAI_API_KEY; had to have VITE_ prefixed with the key resp. import.meta.env.VITE_OPENAI_API_KEY. But as this is a frontend solution the key is exposed in the console.