I’m confused about why some platforms only let you see your API key once when you first create it. They say it’s for security but I don’t really get how. If someone hacks your account they can just make new keys anyway right? And if it’s your account why can’t you see your own key again?
It seems weird that big companies like Google still let you view and copy API keys multiple times. So it’s not like everyone agrees this is the best way to do things.
Am I missing something about why this is actually more secure? Or is it just to cover the company legally if something goes wrong? I’d love to hear what others think about this.
If you work somewhere that does this single-view thing for API keys I’m really curious to know the reasoning behind it. Does it actually stop any real threats or is it more of a “feel good” security thing?
I’ve worked at a company that implemented this ‘show once’ policy for API keys. The main reasoning was to encourage better security practices among our users. By only showing the key once, it forces users to immediately store it securely, rather than relying on being able to retrieve it later. This reduces the chances of keys being exposed through browser history, cached pages, or shared screens.
It’s not foolproof, as you noted - a compromised account can still generate new keys. However, it does add an extra layer of protection against casual exposure. Additionally, it makes key rotation easier to track, as users must generate new keys rather than reusing old ones.
That said, I agree it can be frustrating from a user perspective. There’s definitely a trade-off between security and convenience here. Ultimately, each platform has to weigh those factors based on their specific use case and risk profile.
I’ve dealt with this ‘view once’ API key approach as both a developer and user. Honestly, it’s a bit of a mixed bag in practice.
On the security side, it does push you to be more careful about storing keys safely right away. No more relying on the dashboard as a backup. And it makes key rotation a more deliberate process.
But it can also be a real headache. I’ve had situations where a key was lost due to a system crash or human error, forcing us to update integrations unnecessarily. It felt more disruptive than secure.
From what I’ve seen, the effectiveness really depends on the overall security posture of the platform. If other measures like IP restrictions, detailed logging, and anomaly detection are in place, the ‘view once’ policy adds marginal benefit at best.
Ultimately, I think it’s more about promoting a security mindset than providing ironclad protection. Whether that trade-off is worth it probably varies case by case.
as someone who’s built apis, i think it’s more about encouraging good habits than actual security. it pushes devs to store keys safely immediately. but yeah, it can be a pain if you lose the key.
imo, other security measures like rate limiting and monitoring are way more important. the one-time view is kinda security theater tbh. but it does make ppl think about security, so that’s smthing i guess.