E-Raksha uses environment variables to keep sensitive information secure. Never commit API keys or secrets to the repository.

1. Copy the example environment file:

   cp .env.example .env

2. Edit .env with your actual credentials:

   # Supabase Configuration (Optional - for database features)
   SUPABASE_URL=https://your-project.supabase.co
   SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_anon_key_here
   
   # API Configuration
   API_HOST=0.0.0.0
   API_PORT=8000
   FRONTEND_PORT=3001

• Supabase credentials - Database access keys
• API keys - External service authentication
• Secret keys - Application security tokens
• Database URLs - Connection strings
• Kaggle credentials - Model training access

The Docker setup automatically loads environment variables from .env file:

# Create your .env file first
cp .env.example .env
# Edit .env with your credentials

# Then deploy
docker-compose up --build

For production deployments, set environment variables in your hosting platform:

# Set via Railway dashboard or CLI
railway variables set SUPABASE_URL=your_url
railway variables set SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_key

# Set in Render dashboard under Environment Variables
SUPABASE_URL=your_url
SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_key

# Set via environment variables in container
docker run -e SUPABASE_URL=your_url -e SUPABASE_ANON_KEY=your_key eraksha:latest

Database features are optional. If you don't set Supabase credentials:

• Core deepfake detection still works
• Web interface functions normally
• No inference logging to database
• No user feedback storage
• No usage statistics

1. Never commit .env files - They're in .gitignore
2. Use different keys for development/production
3. Rotate keys regularly
4. Use least-privilege access - Only grant necessary permissions
5. Monitor access logs - Check for unauthorized usage

"Supabase credentials not found"

• This is normal if you haven't set up database features
• Core functionality works without database
• Set SUPABASE_URL and SUPABASE_ANON_KEY to enable database features

"Environment variables not loading"

• Ensure .env file exists in project root
• Check file permissions (should be readable)
• Verify no extra spaces in variable assignments

1. Go to supabase.com
2. Create a free account and project
3. Go to Settings > API
4. Copy your Project URL and anon/public key
5. Add to your .env file

Note: Database features are optional. E-Raksha works perfectly without them!