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Understanding PHOENIX_SECRET and API Key Usage in Railway Deployments | Arize AI Community

Phoenix Support

Understanding PHOENIX_SECRET and API Key Usage in Railway Deployments

·Mar 21, 2025 01:53 PM

When deploying Phoenix with Railway, Railway defines a PHOENIX_SECRET. Does Phoenix itself use that, or is it something Railway uses? I removed PHOENIX_SECRET from my env, and traces are still sent even with auth enabled. I do have the api key sent. So is the api key all that is needed?

5 comments

· Sorted by Oldest

RunLLM
APP
·
The PHOENIX_SECRET is used by Phoenix to sign JWTs for authentication purposes. It is not something that Railway uses directly. When authentication is enabled in Phoenix, the PHOENIX_SECRET is necessary for generating and validating tokens. However, if you have set up an API key and are using it correctly, traces can still be sent without issues, as the API key is used for authenticating API requests.If you have removed PHOENIX_SECRET and traces are still being sent, it indicates that the API key is sufficient for your current setup. The API key is used in the Authorization header as a bearer token, which is essential for authenticating requests to Phoenix's APIs. For more details, you can refer to the Phoenix authentication setup guide.Would you like more detail on how PHOENIX_SECRET and API keys work together in Phoenix? Sources: - Phoenix authentication setup guide
💡 Hint: Mention RunLLM in the thread for followups.
Mikyo
·
Hey Andrew S. - that's just a sufficiently complicated string that is used to protect your keys. You should replace with your own. Just come up with a very complicated string and re-deploy!
Andrew S.
·
got it - thanks!
Andrew S.
·
so not needed by the client or traced app then
Mikyo
·
No, it's not - those will require a system or user key for auditing and permisssion purposes.