Twitch API keys

Twitch 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
Social Media
API host
api.twitch.tv
Env variable
TWITCH
Sensitivity
Medium
Create a key
https://dev.twitch.tv/console/appsClick "Register Your Application", then Manage → New Secret for the client secret.
Documentation
https://dev.twitch.tv/docs/authentication/

A leaked key here is mostly a billing and quota problem rather than a data one — still worth rotating, rarely an emergency.

Kinds of Twitch key

Client secret

Paired with your client ID for OAuth flows

App access token

Client-credentials token for app-only calls

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 Twitch API key?

Twitch issues keys from https://dev.twitch.tv/console/apps. Click "Register Your Application", then Manage → New Secret for the client secret. 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 environment variable should I use for Twitch?

Most projects use TWITCH. APIKeyConnect recognises these names, so importing an existing .env maps the value onto Twitch 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 Twitch 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 Twitch have more than one kind of key?

Yes — Client secret, App access token. They differ in scope, so keeping them as separate entries rather than one "the Twitch key" is what lets you rotate the risky one without touching the others.

Can APIKeyConnect see my Twitch 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.

Other Social Media services