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Environment Variables

The LoL Tracker Backend uses environment variables to manage sensitive configuration data. All environment variables are stored in a .env file and loaded using the dotenv package.

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Loading Environment Variables

At the top of index.js, environment variables are loaded:
index.js
require('dotenv').config();
This line must be called before accessing any process.env variables to ensure they’re loaded correctly.

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Required Variables

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RIOT_API_KEY
string
required
Your Riot Games Developer API key. This is used to authenticate all requests to the Riot Games API.How to set it:
.env
RIOT_API_KEY=RGAPI-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx
How it’s used in the code:
index.js
const apiKey = process.env.RIOT_API_KEY;
The .env file is included in .gitignore to prevent accidental exposure of your API key. Never commit this file to version control.

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Server Configuration

The server configuration is defined in index.js and controls how the Express application runs.

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Port Configuration

The server listens on port 3000 by default:
index.js
const PORT = 3000;

app.listen(PORT, () => {
    console.log(`Servidor corriendo en http://localhost:${PORT}`);
});
To run the server on a different port, modify the PORT constant:
index.js
const PORT = 8080; // Change to your desired port
Or make it configurable via environment variables:
index.js
const PORT = process.env.PORT || 3000;
Then add to .env:
.env
PORT=8080
RIOT_API_KEY=your_key_here

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CORS Configuration

The server uses the cors middleware to handle Cross-Origin Resource Sharing:
index.js
const cors = require('cors');
app.use(cors());
Current behavior: Allows requests from any origin (suitable for development).
Default configuration allows all origins:
index.js
app.use(cors());
This is perfect for local development when your frontend and backend are on different ports.

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JSON Body Parser

The server is configured to parse JSON request bodies:
index.js
app.use(express.json());
This middleware enables the server to automatically parse incoming JSON payloads in request bodies, making the data available in req.body.

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API Request Configuration

The backend uses axios for making HTTP requests to the Riot Games API.

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Axios Configuration

Every request to the Riot API includes authentication headers:
index.js
const apiKey = process.env.RIOT_API_KEY;

const usuario = await axios.get(
    `https://americas.api.riotgames.com/riot/account/v1/accounts/by-riot-id/${nombre}/${tag}`,
    { headers: { 'X-Riot-Token': apiKey } }
);
Key configuration elements:
  • Base URL: Different Riot API endpoints use different regional URLs (americas, la2, etc.)
  • Headers: All requests include X-Riot-Token header with the API key
  • Authentication: API key is loaded from process.env.RIOT_API_KEY

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Regional Endpoints Used

The application connects to multiple Riot API regions: 
https://americas.api.riotgames.com/riot/account/v1/accounts/by-riot-id/${nombre}/${tag}

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Configuration Best Practices

Security

  • Never hardcode API keys in source code
  • Always use .env for sensitive data
  • Keep .env in .gitignore
  • Use different API keys for dev/prod

Performance

  • Implement request caching for frequently accessed data
  • Use connection pooling for database connections
  • Enable compression middleware for responses
  • Monitor API rate limits

Error Handling

  • Implement global error handler middleware
  • Log errors to monitoring service
  • Return user-friendly error messages
  • Never expose internal errors to clients

Environment Management

  • Create separate .env.development and .env.production
  • Document all required environment variables
  • Validate env vars on server startup
  • Use defaults for non-sensitive config

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Example .env File

Create a .env file in your project root with the following structure:
.env
# Riot Games API Configuration
RIOT_API_KEY=RGAPI-xxxxxxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxx-xxxxxxxxxxxx

# Server Configuration (optional)
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development

# CORS Configuration (optional)
ALLOWED_ORIGINS=http://localhost:5173,http://localhost:3001
Create a .env.example file (without real values) to commit to your repository as a template:
.env.example
RIOT_API_KEY=your_riot_api_key_here
PORT=3000

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Verifying Configuration

To verify your configuration is working correctly:
1

Check environment variables are loaded

Add a console.log to verify (remove after testing):
console.log('API Key loaded:', process.env.RIOT_API_KEY ? 'Yes' : 'No');
2

Test the root endpoint

curl http://localhost:3000
Should return:
¡El servidor del LoL Tracker está vivo, Guillote!
3

Test API key authentication

Try a real API request:
curl http://localhost:3000/api/jugador/Faker/KR1
If configured correctly, you’ll get player data. If not, you’ll see an error.

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Next Steps

Authentication Guide

Learn how to obtain and use Riot API keys

API Overview

Explore all available endpoints and their usage

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