These APIs commonly use a secret API key sent in an HTTP header or handled by the official SDK. Cloud-hosted variants may use service accounts, identity tokens, roles, or workload identity instead.
Keep credentials on the server, never in browser code, mobile bundles, source control, logs, or prompts. Load them from a secret manager or protected environment at runtime. Use different credentials for development, staging, and production.
Apply least privilege where the platform supports it, rotate keys, and monitor usage by project or service. If a key is exposed, revoke it immediately and investigate its activity. Follow current provider documentation for exact header names and cloud authentication flows because they differ.
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