API Key Setup

Complete guide to obtaining, configuring, and securing your SearchJet API keys across all supported platforms.

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Getting Your API Key

Step 1: Create an Account

Sign up at app.searchjetengine.com if you haven't already.

Step 2: Create a Site

Navigate to Dashboard > Sites and click Create Site. Enter your site name and URL.

Step 3: Generate an API Key

1. Go to Settings > API Keys
2. Click Generate Key
3. Select the key type (see below)
4. Name your key for identification
5. Copy and save the key immediately — it will not be shown again

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Key Types Explained

SearchJet uses three key types with different permission levels:

Prefix	Type	Permissions	Use Case
sj_pub_	Public	Search only	Client-side JavaScript, embedded search
sj_prv_	Private	Full access	Server-side code, indexing, admin operations
sj_srch_	Search	Search only (optimized)	High-volume search endpoints

When to Use Each Key

Public Key (sj_pub_)

Use in browser-based applications where the key is visible to users. Safe to include in HTML/JavaScript that runs in the client.

// Safe in browser code
const client = new SearchJet({
  apiKey: 'sj_pub_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'
});

Private Key (sj_prv_)

Use only in server-side code, build scripts, or backend services. Never expose in client-side code or version control.

# Server-side only
client = SearchJetClient(
    api_key="sj_prv_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"
)

Search Key (sj_srch_)

Optimized for read-only search operations. Slightly faster than public keys for search-only workloads. Use in server-side search applications.

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Platform Setup Guides

WordPress Setup

1. Install the SearchJet plugin
2. Go to Settings > SearchJet
3. Enter your Public API Key (sj_pub_) for client-side search
4. Save changes

// In wp-config.php or theme functions.php
define('SEARCHJET_API_KEY', 'sj_pub_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx');

WooCommerce Setup

SearchJet enhances WooCommerce product search. Configure in WooCommerce settings:

1. Install the SearchJet WooCommerce extension
2. Go to WooCommerce > Settings > SearchJet
3. Enter your API key
4. Enable product indexing
5. Map WooCommerce fields to SearchJet fields

// WooCommerce integration in functions.php
add_filter('searchjet_index_fields', function($fields) {
    $fields['price'] = 'price';
    $fields['category'] = 'product_cat';
    $fields['sku'] = '_sku';
    $fields['in_stock'] = '_stock_status';
    return $fields;
});

Laravel Setup

composer require searchjet/laravel
php artisan vendor:publish --provider="SearchJet\SearchJetServiceProvider" --tag="config"

Add to .env:

SEARCHJET_API_KEY=sj_prv_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
SEARCHJET_BASE_URL=https://app.searchjetengine.com

JavaScript / Node.js Setup

Browser (client-side):

npm install searchjet-connect

import SearchJet from 'searchjet-connect';

const client = new SearchJet({
  apiKey: 'sj_pub_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'  // Public key for browser
});

Node.js (server-side):

npm install searchjet-connect

import SearchJet from 'searchjet-connect';

const client = new SearchJet({
  apiKey: 'sj_prv_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx'  // Private key for server
});

Python Setup

pip install searchjet-python

import os
from searchjet import SearchJetClient

# Option 1: Direct initialization
client = SearchJetClient(
    api_key=os.environ.get("SEARCHJET_API_KEY")
)

# Option 2: From environment variables (auto-detected)
# Set SEARCHJET_API_KEY env var
client = SearchJetClient.from_env()

Shopify Setup

1. Install the SearchJet app from the Shopify App Store
2. Authorize the app in your Shopify admin
3. The app auto-configures with your store's product data
4. Customize search settings in the app dashboard

{% if app.searchjet %}
  {{ app.searchjet.render_search }}
{% endif %}

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Environment Variables

Keep keys out of your codebase. Use environment variables:

# .env file (never commit this)
SEARCHJET_API_KEY=sj_prv_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

# Load in shell
export SEARCHJET_API_KEY="sj_prv_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

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Security Best Practices

1. Never Expose Private Keys

Private keys (sj_prv_) must never appear in:

• Client-side JavaScript
• HTML source code
• Version control (Git)
• Log files
• Public documentation

2. Use Environment Variables

Always load keys from environment variables, not hardcoded strings:

# Bad
client = SearchJetClient(api_key="sj_prv_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx")

# Good
client = SearchJetClient(api_key=os.environ["SEARCHJET_API_KEY"])

3. Add to .gitignore

.env
.env.local
.env.production

4. Rotate Keys Regularly

Generate new keys and revoke old ones periodically:

1. Generate a new key in Settings > API Keys
2. Update your application with the new key
3. Test that everything works
4. Revoke the old key

5. Use Least Privilege

• Use public keys for client-side search
• Use search keys for server-side search
• Use private keys only for admin operations
• Restrict key permissions to specific sites when possible

6. Monitor Key Usage

Check Settings > API Keys > Usage to monitor for unusual activity. Set up alerts for unexpected spikes in usage.

7. Revoke Unused Keys

If a key is compromised or no longer needed, revoke it immediately. Go to Settings > API Keys and click Revoke.

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Key Rotation Checklist

• Generate new key in dashboard
• Update all applications using the old key
• Test search functionality with new key
• Test indexing functionality with new key
• Verify no errors in application logs
• Revoke old key

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Troubleshooting

"Unauthorized" Error

• Verify the API key is correct (no extra spaces or characters)
• Check that you're using the right key type for the operation
• Ensure the key has not been revoked

"Forbidden" Error

• Public keys cannot perform admin operations
• Check that the key has access to the requested site
• Verify key permissions in the dashboard

Key Not Working

1. Copy the key again from the dashboard
2. Check for invisible characters or line breaks
3. Verify the environment variable is loaded correctly
4. Test with a direct API call using cURL

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sj_pub_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  "https://app.searchjetengine.com/v1/search?q=test"

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See Also

• API Documentation — Full API reference
• Error Handling — Error codes and handling
• SDK Reference — Client library documentation