> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://python4ai.codewithsiva.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Environment & secrets

> Keep your API keys safe

## Never put secrets in your code

When working with APIs or databases, you'll need:

* API keys
* Passwords
* Connection strings

Putting these directly in your code is dangerous - anyone can see them!

## The solution

Environment variables let you keep secrets separate from your code. We'll learn two approaches:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Environment variables" icon="gear" href="/tools/environment/variables">
    What they are and how they work
  </Card>

  <Card title="Using .env files" icon="file-shield" href="/tools/environment/dotenv">
    The easy way with .env files
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Tip>
  Most Python projects use `.env` files - they're simple and work great for local development.
</Tip>