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Wrkks requires several environment variables to be configured for proper operation. This guide covers all required and optional variables.

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Quick setup

Create a .env.local file in your project root with the following variables:
.env.local
# Clerk Authentication
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...

# Supabase Database
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_DEFAULT_KEY=eyJhbGc...

# OpenRouter AI
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-v1-...
OPENROUTER_MODEL_NAME=openai/gpt-4o-mini

# Application
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000
Never commit .env.local or any file containing secret keys to version control. Add them to your .gitignore.

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Required variables

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Clerk authentication

Clerk provides authentication and user management for Wrkks.
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NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY
string
required
Your Clerk publishable key. This is safe to expose in client-side code.How to get it:
  1. Go to Clerk Dashboard
  2. Select your application
  3. Navigate to API Keys
  4. Copy the Publishable key
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CLERK_SECRET_KEY
string
required
Your Clerk secret key. Keep this secret and never expose it in client-side code.How to get it:
  1. Go to Clerk Dashboard
  2. Select your application
  3. Navigate to API Keys
  4. Copy the Secret key
Clerk environment variables are automatically detected by the @clerk/nextjs package. Make sure to use the exact naming convention shown above.

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Supabase database

Supabase provides the PostgreSQL database for storing user data and resumes.
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NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL
string
required
Your Supabase project URL. This is safe to expose in client-side code.Format: https://your-project-id.supabase.coHow to get it:
  1. Go to Supabase Dashboard
  2. Select your project
  3. Navigate to Settings → API
  4. Copy the Project URL
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NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_DEFAULT_KEY
string
required
Your Supabase anonymous/public key. This is safe to expose in client-side code and is used for Row Level Security.How to get it:
  1. Go to Supabase Dashboard
  2. Select your project
  3. Navigate to Settings → API
  4. Copy the anon public key
Do NOT use the service_role key for NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_DEFAULT_KEY. The service role key bypasses Row Level Security and should never be exposed to clients.

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OpenRouter AI

OpenRouter provides AI models for parsing resume content from PDFs.
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OPENROUTER_API_KEY
string
required
Your OpenRouter API key for accessing AI models.How to get it:
  1. Go to OpenRouter
  2. Sign up or log in
  3. Navigate to API Keys
  4. Create a new API key
  5. Add credits to your account
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OPENROUTER_MODEL_NAME
string
required
The AI model to use for resume parsing.Recommended values:
  • openai/gpt-4o-mini - Fast and cost-effective (recommended)
  • openai/gpt-4o - More accurate but slower and more expensive
  • anthropic/claude-3.5-sonnet - Alternative high-quality option
Default: openai/gpt-4o-mini
The resume parsing uses JSON mode with temperature: 0 for consistent, structured output. Choose a model that supports JSON response format.

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Application URL

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NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL
string
required
The base URL of your application. Used for generating share links and API calls.Examples:
  • Development: http://localhost:3000
  • Production: https://wrkks.site or your custom domain
Default: https://wrkks.site (if not set)
Make sure to update NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL to your production domain before deploying. This affects share URLs and internal API calls.

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Setting environment variables

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Local development

For local development, create a .env.local file in your project root: 
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
NEXT_PUBLIC_SUPABASE_PUBLISHABLE_DEFAULT_KEY=eyJhbGc...
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-v1-...
OPENROUTER_MODEL_NAME=openai/gpt-4o-mini
NEXT_PUBLIC_BASE_URL=http://localhost:3000

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Vercel

1

Open project settings

Navigate to your project in the Vercel Dashboard and go to Settings → Environment Variables.
2

Add variables one by one

Add each environment variable with its corresponding value. Make sure to select the appropriate environments (Production, Preview, Development).
3

Or upload .env file

Alternatively, you can paste all variables at once using the “Paste .env” option in the environment variables section.
4

Redeploy

After adding environment variables, trigger a new deployment for the changes to take effect.

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Other platforms

For other hosting platforms, refer to their documentation:
  • Netlify: Environment variables in Site settings → Build & deploy → Environment
  • Railway: Environment variables in the Variables tab of your service
  • Render: Environment variables in Environment section of your web service

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Variable usage in code

Here’s where each environment variable is used in the codebase:

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Clerk variables

Used by @clerk/nextjs package automatically:
  • app/layout.tsx:4 - ClerkProvider wrapper
  • components/SyncUser.tsx:4 - User synchronization

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Supabase variables

Used in Supabase client initialization:
  • lib/supabase/client.ts:3-4 - Browser client
  • lib/supabase/server.ts:8-9 - Server client
  • lib/supabase/middleware.ts:4-5 - Middleware client

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OpenRouter variables

Used in AI parsing:
  • app/api/extract-info/route.ts:6 - API key
  • app/api/extract-info/route.ts:85 - Model name

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Base URL variable

Used in:
  • app/layout.tsx:25 - Site metadata
  • lib/supabase/user/getShareUrl.ts:7 - Share link generation
  • lib/server/actions.ts:10,28 - Internal API calls

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Security best practices

1

Use different keys for development and production

Always use separate API keys and database instances for development and production environments.
2

Rotate keys regularly

Periodically rotate your API keys, especially if you suspect they may have been compromised.
3

Limit key permissions

Use the least privileged keys possible. For Supabase, always use the anon key, not the service_role key in client-side code.
4

Monitor usage

Set up usage alerts in OpenRouter and Supabase to detect unusual activity.
5

Never commit secrets

Use .gitignore to prevent committing environment files. Audit your repository for accidentally committed secrets.

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Troubleshooting

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”Invalid API key” errors

  • Verify the environment variable name is spelled correctly (check for typos)
  • Ensure there are no extra spaces or quotes around the key value
  • Confirm the key is valid by testing it in the provider’s dashboard

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”Cannot read properties of undefined”

  • Make sure all required environment variables are set
  • Restart your development server after adding new variables
  • Check that variables prefixed with NEXT_PUBLIC_ are available in the browser

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Changes not taking effect

  • Restart your Next.js development server (npm run dev)
  • For production, trigger a new deployment after changing environment variables
  • Clear your browser cache and cookies

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Next steps

Database setup

Configure your Supabase database with the required schema

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