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Overview

OmniSearches uses environment variables to configure API keys and settings. Environment variables are loaded from a .env file in development mode and should be set directly in your hosting platform for production deployments.
Security Notice: Never commit your .env file or expose API keys in public repositories. The .gitignore file is configured to exclude sensitive files by default.

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Required Variables

These environment variables are required for OmniSearches to function properly. The application will fail to start if any of these are missing.
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GOOGLE_API_KEY
string
required
Your Google API key with access to the Gemini API. This is used for the main AI-powered search functionality.How to obtain:
  1. Visit Google AI Studio
  2. Create a new API key
  3. Ensure the key has access to Gemini 2.0 Flash API
GOOGLE_API_KEY=AIzaSyD...
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REASON_MODEL_API_KEY
string
required
Your OpenRouter API key with access to the Deepseek reasoning model. This powers the advanced reasoning mode.How to obtain:
  1. Visit OpenRouter
  2. Create an account and generate an API key
  3. Ensure access to Deepseek distilled llama 70b API
REASON_MODEL_API_KEY=sk-or-v1-...
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REASON_MODEL_API_URL
string
required
The base URL for the OpenRouter API endpoint. This should be set to the OpenRouter API URL.Default value:
REASON_MODEL_API_URL=https://openrouter.ai/api/v1

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Optional Variables

These environment variables are optional and have default values if not specified.
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REASON_MODEL
string
The specific model name to use for reasoning operations. Defaults to the Deepseek R1 distilled llama 70b model.Default value:
REASON_MODEL=deepseek/deepseek-r1-distill-llama-70b:free
Other options:
  • Any OpenRouter-compatible model endpoint
  • Check OpenRouter Models for available options
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NODE_ENV
string
The environment mode for the application. Affects logging, error handling, and whether .env files are loaded.Possible values:
  • development (default) - Loads .env file, enables debug logging
  • production - Expects environment variables from hosting platform
NODE_ENV=production
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DEEPSEEK_API_KEY
string
Legacy/alternative API key for Deepseek. This is currently defined in the environment setup but may be used for direct Deepseek API access.
DEEPSEEK_API_KEY=your_key_here

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Setting Up Environment Variables

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Local Development

  1. Create a .env file in the root directory of your project:
touch .env
  1. Add your environment variables:
.env
GOOGLE_API_KEY=your_google_api_key_here
REASON_MODEL_API_KEY=your_openrouter_api_key_here
REASON_MODEL_API_URL=https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
REASON_MODEL=deepseek/deepseek-r1-distill-llama-70b:free
NODE_ENV=development
  1. The .env file will be automatically loaded when you run the development server:
npm run dev
The .env file is only loaded in development mode. In production, set environment variables directly in your hosting platform.

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Production Deployment

For production deployments, set environment variables directly in your hosting platform:
  • Railway: Set variables in the Variables tab of your project
  • Vercel: Configure in Project Settings → Environment Variables
  • Heroku: Use heroku config:set VARIABLE_NAME=value
  • Docker: Pass variables with -e flag or use a .env file with --env-file
In production (NODE_ENV=production), the application does NOT load .env files. All variables must be set in your hosting environment.

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Environment Variable Validation

The application validates required environment variables at startup. If any required variables are missing, the application will throw an error: 
Error: Missing required environment variables: GOOGLE_API_KEY, REASON_MODEL_API_KEY
This validation is performed in server/env.ts:19-28 to ensure all necessary configuration is present before the application starts.

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Security Best Practices

Never Commit API Keys

Always keep your .env file in .gitignore. Never commit API keys to version control.

Use Separate Keys

Use different API keys for development and production environments.

Rotate Keys Regularly

Periodically rotate your API keys, especially if they may have been exposed.

Monitor Usage

Track your API usage in the Google Cloud Console and OpenRouter dashboard.

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Troubleshooting

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Variables Not Loading

If your environment variables aren’t being loaded:
  1. Check that your .env file is in the root directory (same level as package.json)
  2. Verify NODE_ENV is not set to production in development
  3. Restart your development server after changing .env values
  4. Check for syntax errors in your .env file (no quotes, no spaces around =)

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Missing Variable Errors

If you see “Missing required environment variables” errors:
  1. Verify all required variables are set in your .env file or hosting platform
  2. Check for typos in variable names (they are case-sensitive)
  3. Ensure no trailing spaces in variable values

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API Key Issues

If you’re experiencing API authentication errors:
  1. Verify your API keys are valid and active
  2. Check that your Google API key has Gemini API access enabled
  3. Ensure your OpenRouter account has sufficient credits
  4. Confirm the API URLs are correct and accessible
Need help with environment variables? Check the deployment guide or consult the official documentation.

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