Shutterstock API keys
Shutterstock 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
- Content & Media
- API host
api.shutterstock.com- Key format
xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx- Env variable
SHUTTERSTOCK- Sensitivity
- Medium
- Create a key
- https://www.shutterstock.com/account/developers/apps — The app list shows each app’s consumer key and secret; click "Create new app" if you have none.
- Documentation
- https://api-reference.shutterstock.com/
A leaked key here is mostly a billing and quota problem rather than a data one — still worth rotating, rarely an emergency.
Kinds of Shutterstock key
API Key
API 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 Shutterstock API key?
Shutterstock issues keys from https://www.shutterstock.com/account/developers/apps. The app list shows each app’s consumer key and secret; click "Create new app" if you have none. 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 Shutterstock API key look like?
Shutterstock keys follow the pattern xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx. 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 Shutterstock?
Most projects use SHUTTERSTOCK. APIKeyConnect recognises these names, so importing an existing .env maps the value onto Shutterstock 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 Shutterstock 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 Shutterstock have more than one kind of key?
Yes — API Key, API Secret. They differ in scope, so keeping them as separate entries rather than one "the Shutterstock key" is what lets you rotate the risky one without touching the others.
Can APIKeyConnect see my Shutterstock 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.