Need help with API security for my GitHub Pages website
I’m working on a site hosted on GitHub Pages. It gets data from an Airtable database. The problem is Airtable now wants personal access tokens for database queries.
I’m not sure how to handle this securely. I don’t want to put the token in my repo or on the website itself. That seems risky.
Has anyone dealt with this before? What’s a good way to manage API tokens for a static site? I heard about GitHub Codespaces but I’m not sure if that would work here.
Any tips or best practices would be really helpful. I want to keep my site running smoothly without exposing sensitive info. Thanks!
hey there! i’ve dealt with this before. one option is using a serverless function (like AWS Lambda) as a proxy. it can securely store your token and handle API requests. ur GitHub Pages site calls the function, which then queries Airtable. keeps everything safe n separate. hope that helps!
I’ve encountered this issue in my projects too. One approach that’s worked well for me is setting up a lightweight backend service, like a Node.js app on Heroku. This service can act as a middleman between your GitHub Pages site and Airtable. Your frontend makes requests to your Heroku app, which then uses the stored API token to query Airtable. This way, your token never leaves the server. It’s a bit more setup initially, but it’s quite flexible and secure. Remember to use environment variables on Heroku to store your API token. Also, implement proper CORS settings to ensure only your GitHub Pages site can access the backend service. This setup has served me well in several projects. It gives you more control and keeps your sensitive data safe.
Another approach worth considering is using a service like Netlify Functions or Cloudflare Workers. These serverless platforms integrate well with static sites and can securely handle API requests.
You’d create a small function that stores your Airtable token securely and acts as an intermediary. Your GitHub Pages site would call this function, which then communicates with Airtable using the stored token.
This method keeps your token safe while allowing your static site to indirectly access the Airtable API. It’s relatively straightforward to set up and doesn’t require managing a separate backend server.
Remember to implement proper authentication on your function to ensure only your site can access it. This solution offers a good balance of security and simplicity for static sites needing API access.