Paste code into AI without leaking your API keys
Pasting a script or config file into ChatGPT often leaves an API key behind. Here's how to use AI for coding without leaking secrets.
To use AI on code without exposing your secrets, replace each secret (API key, token, password, internal URL) with a reversible token before sending the prompt — then restore the answer in your browser. The assistant reasons over structurally identical code that has been stripped of its secrets: it helps you debug or refactor without ever seeing a single key.
Why code holds more secrets than you think
When a developer asks for help with a script, they often copy a whole block — including what they no longer look at: environment variables, auth headers, connection strings. Those are exactly the things that open your systems.
- API keys and tokens (cloud, payment, AI providers).
- SSH private keys and certificates.
- Database connection strings (with credentials).
- Internal URLs, hostnames and non-public endpoints.
The rule: anonymize before you paste
- 1Detection: an engine spots secrets, including those without an obvious keyword (high-entropy strings).
- 2Tokenization: each secret is replaced with a neutral token kept in local memory.
- 3Restoration: the AI's answer is de-tokenized in your browser — the code stays runnable, and the AI saw nothing.
Best practices for technical teams
- Never paste a raw .env or config file into an assistant.
- Rotate secrets and keys regularly, especially when in doubt.
- Tool up anonymization so it's automatic, not optional.
- Train people: leaks almost always come from copy-paste, not an attack.
ONYRI Sanitize detects technical secrets (AWS, Stripe, OpenAI keys, JWT tokens, SSH keys…) and high-entropy strings, then restores the answer in your browser. You keep AI's productivity without turning a prompt into a secret leak.
Frequently asked questions
- Can AI still help me if I mask my keys?
- Yes. The code structure is preserved: only secrets become consistent tokens. The assistant reasons normally, and you get back complete, runnable code after restoration.
- Isn't it enough to delete the keys manually?
- Rarely: you always miss one, and you lose the ability to restore cleanly. An automatic engine detects (including by entropy), replaces and restores reliably.
- What if a key was already pasted into an assistant?
- Treat it as compromised: revoke it and generate a new one. It's quick, and far cheaper than unauthorized access to your systems.
Sources & references
Keep your sensitive data in your browser
ONYRI Sanitize detects and masks your sensitive data before it reaches the AI, then restores the answer — from names to API keys.
Anonymize my prompt