Stripe API keys
Stripe 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
- Payment & Financial
- API host
api.stripe.com- Key format
sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx- Env variable
STRIPE- Sensitivity
- Critical
- Create a key
- https://dashboard.stripe.com/apikeys — Switch to Live mode (top right) for live keys, then "Reveal" the secret key.
- Documentation
- https://stripe.com/docs/api
A leaked key here can move money, delete data, or impersonate your organisation. Rotate immediately if one is ever exposed, and never let one reach a client bundle.
Kinds of Stripe key
Secret Key
Required for all server-side API calls
Publishable Key
Used for client-side checkout integrations
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 Stripe API key?
Stripe issues keys from https://dashboard.stripe.com/apikeys. Switch to Live mode (top right) for live keys, then "Reveal" the secret key. 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 Stripe API key look like?
Stripe keys follow the pattern sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. 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 Stripe?
Most projects use STRIPE. APIKeyConnect recognises these names, so importing an existing .env maps the value onto Stripe 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 Stripe key?
Critical sensitivity. A leaked key here can move money, delete data, or impersonate your organisation. Rotate immediately if one is ever exposed, and never let one reach a client bundle.
Does Stripe have more than one kind of key?
Yes — Secret Key, Publishable Key. They differ in scope, so keeping them as separate entries rather than one "the Stripe key" is what lets you rotate the risky one without touching the others.
Can APIKeyConnect see my Stripe 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.