How to use Google API credentials json on Heroku?

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06-10-2024

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Unlocking Your Google APIs on Heroku: A Guide to Using Credentials JSON

Integrating your applications with Google APIs can be a powerful way to leverage their functionalities. However, securing your API credentials when deploying to platforms like Heroku can be tricky. This guide will show you how to securely use Google API credentials JSON files on Heroku.

The Problem:

You've built a fantastic app that utilizes Google APIs, but you're struggling to deploy it to Heroku without exposing your sensitive API credentials. Leaving them in your code is a major security risk, and storing them directly on Heroku's platform is not recommended.

The Solution:

The key is to keep your credentials secure and accessible to your application. Here's how:

1. Create a Google Cloud Project and Obtain Credentials:

• Visit the Google Cloud Console and create a new project.
• Enable the specific API you need within your project.
• Navigate to the "Credentials" page and create a new "Service Account Key". Choose the "JSON" format.
• Download the JSON file. This file contains your API key and other sensitive information.

2. Store Your Credentials Securely:

• Heroku Config Vars: This is the recommended approach. Heroku provides a secure environment variable system to store sensitive data.

  • Go to your Heroku app's settings page.
  • Click "Reveal Config Vars" and add a new variable called GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS.
  • Set the value to the entire contents of your downloaded JSON file (remember to replace any special characters like single quotes with double quotes).

• Heroku Add-ons: Heroku offers add-ons like Config Vars which allow you to store secrets in a separate, secure location.

3. Configure Your App:

• Python:

  import os
  from google.oauth2 import service_account
  
  # Load the credentials from the environment variable
  credentials = service_account.Credentials.from_service_account_file(os.environ.get('GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS'))
  
  # Use the credentials to authorize your API requests
  # ...
  

• Node.js:

  const { google } = require('googleapis');
  const path = require('path');
  
  // Get the credentials from the environment variable
  const keyFilePath = process.env.GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS; 
  
  // Authenticate using the credentials
  const auth = new google.auth.GoogleAuth({
      keyFile: keyFilePath,
      scopes: ['YOUR_REQUIRED_SCOPES']
  });
  
  // ... use the authorized client to make requests
  

• Other Languages: Similar approaches can be used in other languages by accessing the environment variable and using the relevant libraries for Google API authentication.

4. Deploy and Test:

• Deploy your application to Heroku.
• Verify that your app can successfully connect and authenticate with the Google API.

Important Considerations:

• Security: Never commit your JSON file directly to your source code repository. Use environment variables or secure add-ons to protect your credentials.
• Scopes: Make sure you specify the necessary scopes for your application's required API access.
• Service Account: Use a dedicated service account for your application to minimize security risks and track access permissions.
• Heroku Logs: Be mindful of logging sensitive information. Avoid logging your full JSON file content in Heroku logs for security reasons.

Example:

Imagine you're building a web application that uses the Google Cloud Storage API to store user files. You would:

1. Create a Google Cloud Project and enable the Cloud Storage API.
2. Create a service account key and download the JSON file.
3. Add the JSON content to your GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS environment variable on Heroku.
4. Configure your app to read the credentials from the environment variable and authorize your API calls.

This guide provides a starting point for securely utilizing Google API credentials JSON files within Heroku. By following these steps and adhering to best practices, you can safely unlock the power of Google APIs in your applications.