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Scira requires various API keys and configuration settings through environment variables. This guide provides a complete reference of all available environment variables.
Copy .env.example to .env.local (for development) or .env (for production) and configure the required variables.

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AI API Keys

API keys for AI model providers. At minimum, you need OpenAI and Anthropic.
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XAI_API_KEY
string
xAI API key for Grok models (Grok 3, Grok 4, Grok Code)Get your key: console.x.ai
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OPENAI_API_KEY
string
required
OpenAI API key for GPT modelsGet your key: platform.openai.com/api-keys
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ANTHROPIC_API_KEY
string
required
Anthropic API key for Claude models (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus)Get your key: console.anthropic.com
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GROQ_API_KEY
string
Groq API key for fast inferenceGet your key: console.groq.com
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GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY
string
Google API key for Gemini models (Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 3)Get your key: makersuite.google.com/app/apikey

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Development & Sandbox

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DAYTONA_API_KEY
string
Daytona API key for code execution sandboxEnables the code interpreter tool for executing Python code in a sandboxed environment.Get your key: daytona.io

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Database & Storage

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DATABASE_URL
string
required
PostgreSQL database connection URLFormat: postgresql://user:password@host:port/databaseExample: postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/sciraFor production, use a managed PostgreSQL service like:
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REDIS_URL
string
required
Redis connection URL for serverless caching and rate limitingFormat: redis://default:password@host:portRecommended: Upstash Redis for serverless Redis
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BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN
string
Vercel Blob storage token for file uploadsRequired for storing uploaded files (PDFs, images, etc.) and extreme search artifacts.Get your token: vercel.com/storage/blob

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Authentication

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BETTER_AUTH_SECRET
string
required
Secret key for Better Auth session encryptionGenerate a secure random string:
openssl rand -base64 32
Keep this secret secure. Never commit it to version control or expose it publicly.

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GitHub OAuth

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GITHUB_CLIENT_ID
string
GitHub OAuth application client IDCreate an OAuth app: github.com/settings/developersSet callback URL to: https://yourdomain.com/api/auth/callback/github
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GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET
string
GitHub OAuth application client secret

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Google OAuth

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GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID
string
Google OAuth 2.0 client IDCreate OAuth credentials: console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentialsSet authorized redirect URI to: https://yourdomain.com/api/auth/callback/google
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GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET
string
Google OAuth 2.0 client secret

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Twitter/X OAuth

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TWITTER_CLIENT_ID
string
Twitter/X OAuth 2.0 client IDCreate an app: developer.twitter.com/en/portal/projects-and-appsSet callback URL to: https://yourdomain.com/api/auth/callback/twitter
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TWITTER_CLIENT_SECRET
string
Twitter/X OAuth 2.0 client secret

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Search & Web APIs

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TAVILY_API_KEY
string
Tavily API key for web search and financial newsGet your key: tavily.com
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EXA_API_KEY
string
required
Exa API key for AI-powered web search, academic search, and content retrievalRequired for: Web search featureGet your key: exa.ai
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FIRECRAWL_API_KEY
string
Firecrawl API key for web scraping with structured extractionGet your key: firecrawl.dev
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SUPADATA_API_KEY
string
Supadata API key for YouTube search, transcripts, and social media contentGet your key: supadata.ai

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Media & Entertainment

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TMDB_API_KEY
string
The Movie Database (TMDB) API key for movie and TV show dataGet your key: themoviedb.org/settings/api
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YT_ENDPOINT
string
YouTube endpoint for video search and transcript extraction
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ELEVENLABS_API_KEY
string
ElevenLabs API key for voice synthesis (Pro feature)Get your key: elevenlabs.io

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Maps & Location

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GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY
string
Google Maps API key for geocoding and place discoveryEnable APIs: Maps JavaScript API, Geocoding API, Places APIGet your key: console.cloud.google.com/google/maps-apis
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MAPBOX_ACCESS_TOKEN
string
Mapbox access token for map renderingGet your token: mapbox.com/account/access-tokens
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TRIPADVISOR_API_KEY
string
TripAdvisor API key for location and travel dataGet your key: tripadvisor.com/developers

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Weather & Aviation

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OPENWEATHER_API_KEY
string
OpenWeatherMap API key for weather data and forecastsGet your key: openweathermap.org/api
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AVIATION_STACK_API_KEY
string
Aviation Stack API key for flight trackingGet your key: aviationstack.com

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Memory & MCP

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SUPERMEMORY_API_KEY
string
Supermemory API key for memory management and connector search (Pro feature)Enables searching connected Google Drive, Notion, and OneDrive.Get your key: supermemory.ai
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SMITHERY_API_KEY
string
Smithery API key for Model Context Protocol (MCP) integrationGet your key: smithery.ai

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Cron & Security

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CRON_SECRET
string
Secret key for authenticating cron job requestsUsed by Lookouts (scheduled research agents) to authenticate scheduled executions.Generate a secure random string:
openssl rand -base64 32

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Subscription & Payments

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POLAR_ACCESS_TOKEN
string
Polar API access token for subscription managementGet your token: polar.sh
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POLAR_WEBHOOK_SECRET
string
Polar webhook secret for verifying webhook signatures
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NEXT_PUBLIC_STARTER_TIER
string
Product ID for Starter subscription tier (Polar)
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NEXT_PUBLIC_STARTER_SLUG
string
Product slug for Starter subscription tier (Polar)
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DODO_PAYMENTS_API_KEY
string
Dodo Payments API key for premium subscription managementGet your key: dodopayments.com
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DODO_PAYMENTS_WEBHOOK_SECRET
string
Dodo Payments webhook secret for verifying webhook signatures
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NEXT_PUBLIC_PREMIUM_TIER
string
Product ID for Premium subscription tier (Dodo Payments)
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NEXT_PUBLIC_PREMIUM_SLUG
string
Product slug for Premium subscription tier (Dodo Payments)

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Client-side Environment Variables

These variables are exposed to the browser with the NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix.
Only use NEXT_PUBLIC_ prefix for non-sensitive data that can be safely exposed to clients.
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NEXT_PUBLIC_MAPBOX_TOKEN
string
Public Mapbox token for client-side map renderingGet your token: mapbox.com/account/access-tokens
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NEXT_PUBLIC_GOOGLE_MAPS_API_KEY
string
Public Google Maps API key for client-side maps
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NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_KEY
string
PostHog project API key for analyticsGet your key: posthog.com
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NEXT_PUBLIC_POSTHOG_HOST
string
PostHog API host URLDefault: https://app.posthog.com
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NEXT_PUBLIC_SCIRA_PUBLIC_API_KEY
string
Public API key for Scira client features
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SCIRA_API_KEY
string
Server-side Scira API key for internal API authentication

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Environment File Examples

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Development (.env.local)

# Minimal configuration for local development
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
EXA_API_KEY=...

DATABASE_URL=postgresql://postgres:password@localhost:5432/scira
REDIS_URL=redis://localhost:6379

BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-generated-secret-here

# Optional: Add more API keys as needed

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Production (.env)

# Production environment configuration
NODE_ENV=production

# Required AI providers
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
EXA_API_KEY=...

# Database (use managed PostgreSQL)
DATABASE_URL=postgresql://user:pass@host:5432/db?sslmode=require
REDIS_URL=rediss://default:pass@host:6379

# Authentication
BETTER_AUTH_SECRET=your-secure-production-secret

# OAuth providers (configure all you want to support)
GITHUB_CLIENT_ID=...
GITHUB_CLIENT_SECRET=...
GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID=...
GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET=...

# Storage
BLOB_READ_WRITE_TOKEN=...

# Add all other API keys for features you want to enable

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Security Best Practices

Never commit environment files to version control!Ensure .env, .env.local, and .env.production are in your .gitignore.

Use strong secrets

Generate secrets with openssl rand -base64 32

Rotate regularly

Rotate API keys and secrets periodically

Limit permissions

Use API keys with minimal required permissions

Monitor usage

Track API usage to detect unauthorized access

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Validation

Scira validates environment variables at build time using @t3-oss/env-nextjs. Missing required variables will cause build failures with helpful error messages.

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Next Steps

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