What is the difference between public and secret key?
Last updated: February 9, 2026
The main differences between public and secret API keys are:
Public API Keys:
Can be safely exposed in browser environments as they don't grant access to sensitive data
Should be used for client-side applications that run in browsers
Cannot be used to access the bridge history of your app, as that would leak the entire history to the public
Secret API Keys:
Work the same as public keys but can be used to access the entire bridge history of your app
Should only be used in code that is not run client-side (backend/server-side only)
Cannot be safely used in frontend integrations as they would be exposed in an unsafe browser environment
In summary, public keys are for frontend/browser use with limited permissions, while secret keys are for backend use with full access to bridge history and sensitive data.