Pusher API keys
Pusher API credentials belong in configuration, not in a commit. This page covers where to create one, what it looks like, and how APIKeyConnect stores it without ever being able to read it.
The facts
- Category
- Communication & Messaging
- API host
api-*.pusher.com- Key format
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx- Env variable
PUSHER- Sensitivity
- Medium
- Create a key
- https://dashboard.pusher.com/apps — Open a Channels app → App Keys tab for the app_id, key, secret and cluster.
- Documentation
- https://pusher.com/docs/channels/
A leaked key here is mostly a billing and quota problem rather than a data one — still worth rotating, rarely an emergency.
Kinds of Pusher key
App ID
Key
Secret
How APIKeyConnect stores it
The key is encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM, under a key derived from your master password with PBKDF2-SHA-256 at 600,000 iterations. The password never leaves your device, and the server holds ciphertext it has no way to open.
What the server can see — and what this design does not protect against — is written out in full on the security page. That section exists because a page with no limits section is marketing.
Questions
Where do I get a Pusher API key?
Pusher issues keys from https://dashboard.pusher.com/apps. Open a Channels app → App Keys tab for the app_id, key, secret and cluster. Once you have it, store it in APIKeyConnect rather than in a .env file you might commit — the key is encrypted on your device with a master password we never receive.
What does a Pusher API key look like?
Pusher keys follow the pattern xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Knowing the shape is useful for spotting one that has been pasted into a commit, a log line, or a support ticket — the places keys leak from most often.
What environment variable should I use for Pusher?
Most projects use PUSHER. APIKeyConnect recognises these names, so importing an existing .env maps the value onto Pusher automatically instead of leaving it as an unlabelled string, and generating a .env writes it back under the same name.
How dangerous is a leaked Pusher key?
Medium sensitivity. A leaked key here is mostly a billing and quota problem rather than a data one — still worth rotating, rarely an emergency.
Does Pusher have more than one kind of key?
Yes — App ID, Key, Secret. They differ in scope, so keeping them as separate entries rather than one "the Pusher key" is what lets you rotate the risky one without touching the others.
Can APIKeyConnect see my Pusher key?
No. The key is encrypted in your browser with AES-256-GCM under a key derived from your master password (PBKDF2-SHA-256, 600,000 iterations). The password never leaves your device and the server stores ciphertext it cannot open. What the server can see is documented in full on the security page, including what this design does not protect against.