Clerk Missing Environment Variables Error
Your Clerk integration fails with 'Missing CLERK_SECRET_KEY' or 'Missing CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY' errors. The application won't start or authentication features are unavailable.
Clerk requires both public and secret keys properly set in your environment variables for client and server-side operations.
Error Messages You Might See
Common Causes
- Missing .env.local file in root directory with Clerk keys
- Keys not properly copied from Clerk Dashboard into env file
- CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY only set on server-side, should be in public client env
- CLERK_SECRET_KEY exposed in client-side code or .env file without local suffix
- Environment variables not reloaded after adding new .env.local file
How to Fix It
Get your keys: Log into Clerk Dashboard, go to API Keys section, copy both publishable and secret keys.
Create .env.local: In your project root, create .env.local with:NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY=pk_test_...
CLERK_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
Restart dev server: After updating env file, stop and restart npm run dev.
Verify setup: Check Clerk middleware in middleware.ts includes all necessary protected routes.
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Get HelpFrequently Asked Questions
Where do I find my Clerk API keys?
In your Clerk Dashboard, click 'API Keys' in the sidebar. Copy the publishable key and secret key.
What's the difference between the two keys?
Publishable key is for client-side (prefix pk_). Secret key is for server-side only (prefix sk_). Never expose secret key.
Why doesn't Vercel see my env vars?
Set the same variables in Vercel project settings under Environment Variables. Redeploy after adding them.