Error When Hardcoding OpenAI API Key and when using .runtimeconfig in Firebase Function

Question

I'm working on integrating the OpenAI API with a Firebase project and encountering an issue when trying to hardcode the OpenAI API key or using functions.config().openai.key in a backend scheduled function. The function fails with an error stating that the OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable is missing or empty, despite the key being hardcoded.

Here's the relevant part of my code:

.runtimeconfig file:

{
  "openai": {
    "key": "secret-openai-api-key"
  },
  "mongodb": {
    "uri": "secret-mongo-uri"
  }
}

import OpenAI from "openai";

export const generateTextWithOpenAI = async (prompt: string): Promise<string> => {
  try {
    const openai = new OpenAI({
      apiKey: "My-hard-coded-api-key",
    });

    console.log("Starting request to openai API...");
    const chatCompletion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
      messages: [
        {
          role: "user",
          content: prompt,
        },
      ],
      model: "gpt-3.5-turbo",
    });

    return chatCompletion.choices[0].message.content ? chatCompletion.choices[0].message.content : "";
  } catch (error) {
    console.error("Error in generateTextWithOpenAI:", error);
    throw error;
  }
};

The error I get is as follows:

Error in generateTextWithOpenAI: OpenAIError: The OPENAI_API_KEY environment variable is missing or empty; either provide it, or instantiate the OpenAI client with an apiKey option, like new OpenAI({ apiKey: 'My API Key' }).

Strangely, when I use the API key from Firebase environment configuration in an endpoint it works fine in local testing but in production it gives me the same error as above.

openaiRouter.post("/generate-text", async (req, res) => {
  const prompt = req.body.prompt;
  // Retrieves the API key here
  const openaiApiKey = functions.config().openai.key;
  const openai = new OpenAI(openaiApiKey);

  try {
    console.log("Starting request to openai API...");
    const chatCompletion = await openai.chat.completions.create({
      messages: [
        {
          role: "user",
          content: prompt,
        },
      ],
      model: "gpt-3.5-turbo",
    });

    res.status(200).json(chatCompletion.choices[0].message.content);
  } catch (error) {
    errorResponse(error, res);
  }
});

I've checked the API key multiple times for accuracy and can confirm it is correct. Any ideas on what might be causing this issue or how to resolve it?

I'm Joe Too · Accepted Answer · 2023-12-20 14:00:17Z

1

If this is a v2 function and on a newer version of the Firebase SDKs, functions.config() is no longer a thing. You have to use .env or secrets. The error even when hardcoding it's the same issue - Firebase is looking for the env or secret and not finding it, and that's before it runs your specific hardcoded function.

answered Dec 20, 2023 at 14:00

I'm Joe Too

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