# Key error (even after using a right API key) **URL:** \ **Category:** LangChain for LLM Application Development\ **Created:** [June 7, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.deeplearning.ai/t/key-error-even-after-using-a-right-api-key/351978 "2023-06-07T15:53:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Harsh\_Duche](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@Harsh\_Duche](https://community.deeplearning.ai/u/Harsh_Duche)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 3:53pm UTC](https://community.deeplearning.ai/t/key-error-even-after-using-a-right-api-key/351978/1 "2023-06-07T15:53:19Z")
* * * KeyError Traceback (most recent call last) Cell In[21], line 6 from dotenv import load\_dotenv, find\_dotenv \_ = load\_dotenv(find\_dotenv()) # read local .env file ----\> openai.api\_key = os.environ[‘My\_API\_KEY’] File :679, in **getitem** (self, key) KeyError: ‘My\_API\_KEY’ ---
**Author:** ![reinoudbosch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/22d042/32.png) [@reinoudbosch](https://community.deeplearning.ai/u/reinoudbosch)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 9:50pm UTC](https://community.deeplearning.ai/t/key-error-even-after-using-a-right-api-key/351978/2 "2023-06-08T21:50:59Z")
Hi Harsh\_Duche, If you’re running this in the learning platform you can leave the key as it is, i.e. openai.api\_key = os.environ[‘OPENAI\_API\_KEY’] (do not replace the string ‘OPEN\_API\_KEY’) ---
**Author:** ![hsetin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ad7895/32.png) [@hsetin](https://community.deeplearning.ai/u/hsetin)\ **Post date:** [July 8, 2023, 11:02pm UTC](https://community.deeplearning.ai/t/key-error-even-after-using-a-right-api-key/351978/3 "2023-07-08T23:02:58Z")
When i use the following: openai.api\_key=os.environ[‘sk- _Myhiddenkey_’] I get this key error: KeyError Traceback (most recent call last) Cell In[48], line 6 4 from dotenv import load\_dotenv, find\_dotenv 5 \_ = load\_dotenv(find\_dotenv()) # read local .env file ----\> 6 openai.api\_key=os.environ[‘sk-_Myhiddenkey_’'] File ~\AppData\Local\anaconda3\lib\os.py:680, in \_Environ. **getitem** (self, key) 677 value = self.\_data[self.encodekey(key)] 678 except KeyError: 679 # raise KeyError with the original key value → 680 raise KeyError(key) from None 681 return self.decodevalue(value) KeyError: ‘sk-_Myhiddenkey_’ When i set my key directly ignoring the os.environ, it works fine, but later complains about arguments used for the os.environ function openai.api\_key=‘sk- _Myhiddenkey_’ Has anyone had this issue. This is at the beginning so i can not complete this course if thsi is not fixed. I think this is something todo with variabl declaration from teh prompt engineering course. ---
**Author:** ![hsetin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ad7895/32.png) [@hsetin](https://community.deeplearning.ai/u/hsetin)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://community.deeplearning.ai/t/key-error-even-after-using-a-right-api-key/351978/4 "2023-07-19T18:56:16Z")
Yes, I am also having exactly the same issue. KeyError Traceback (most recent call last) Cell In[12], line 4 2 \_ = load\_dotenv(find\_dotenv()) # read local .env file 3 ##OPENAI\_API\_KEY=‘sk-Mykey’ I was trying to assign key to this variable, but didn’t work. ----\> 4 openai.api\_key =os.environ[‘sk-Mykey’] File ~\AppData\Local\anaconda3\lib\os.py:680, in \_Environ. **getitem** (self, key) 677 value = self.\_data[self.encodekey(key)] 678 except KeyError: 679 # raise KeyError with the original key value → 680 raise KeyError(key) from None 681 return self.decodevalue(value) KeyError: ‘sk-My key’