What is Secrets Management?
The practice of securely storing, accessing, and rotating sensitive credentials like API keys, database passwords, and encryption keys.
In plain English
Like a safe for your valuables versus leaving them on the kitchen counter. Secrets management puts your credentials in a secure vault with access logs, automatic rotation, and strict access controls — instead of pasting them in code or shared documents.
What counts as a secret
Database connection strings. API keys (Stripe, SendGrid, OpenAI). OAuth client secrets. Encryption keys. Webhook signing secrets. Service account credentials. JWT signing keys. Any value that grants access to a system or service.
Common mistakes
Committing secrets to Git repositories. Sharing secrets over Slack or email. Using the same secrets for development and production. Never rotating secrets. Hardcoding secrets in code. Storing production secrets in .env files on developer machines.
For AI-built apps
AI coding tools frequently hardcode API keys and database URLs directly in source files. Step 1: identify every secret in your codebase (search for API keys, passwords, tokens, secret, credentials). Step 2: move them all to environment variables. Step 3: set up your hosting platform's secret management (Vercel Environment Variables, Railway Variables, AWS Secrets Manager). Step 4: add .env* to .gitignore and verify no secrets are in your Git history.
Frequently asked questions
Is it safe to use .env files?
For local development, .env.local files are fine — just make sure they're in .gitignore. For production, use your hosting platform's built-in secret management. Never copy production secrets to your local machine unless absolutely necessary.
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