| name | retellai-security-basics |
| description | Apply Retell AI security best practices for secrets and access control.
Use when securing API keys, implementing least privilege access,
or auditing Retell AI security configuration.
Trigger with phrases like "retellai security", "retellai secrets",
"secure retellai", "retellai API key security".
|
| allowed-tools | Read, Write, Grep |
| version | 1.0.0 |
| license | MIT |
| author | Jeremy Longshore <jeremy@intentsolutions.io> |
Retell AI Security Basics
Overview
Security best practices for Retell AI API keys, tokens, and access control.
Prerequisites
- Retell AI SDK installed
- Understanding of environment variables
- Access to Retell AI dashboard
Instructions
Step 1: Configure Environment Variables
# .env (NEVER commit to git)
RETELLAI_API_KEY=sk_live_***
RETELLAI_SECRET=***
# .gitignore
.env
.env.local
.env.*.local
Step 2: Implement Secret Rotation
# 1. Generate new key in Retell AI dashboard
# 2. Update environment variable
export RETELLAI_API_KEY="new_key_here"
# 3. Verify new key works
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer ${RETELLAI_API_KEY}" \
https://api.retellai.com/health
# 4. Revoke old key in dashboard
Step 3: Apply Least Privilege
| Environment |
Recommended Scopes |
| Development |
read:* |
| Staging |
read:*, write:limited |
| Production |
Only required scopes |
Output
- Secure API key storage
- Environment-specific access controls
- Audit logging enabled
Error Handling
| Security Issue |
Detection |
Mitigation |
| Exposed API key |
Git scanning |
Rotate immediately |
| Excessive scopes |
Audit logs |
Reduce permissions |
| Missing rotation |
Key age check |
Schedule rotation |
Examples
Service Account Pattern
const clients = {
reader: new RetellAIClient({
apiKey: process.env.RETELLAI_READ_KEY,
}),
writer: new RetellAIClient({
apiKey: process.env.RETELLAI_WRITE_KEY,
}),
};
Webhook Signature Verification
import crypto from 'crypto';
function verifyWebhookSignature(
payload: string, signature: string, secret: string
): boolean {
const expected = crypto.createHmac('sha256', secret).update(payload).digest('hex');
return crypto.timingSafeEqual(Buffer.from(signature), Buffer.from(expected));
}
Security Checklist
Audit Logging
interface AuditEntry {
timestamp: Date;
action: string;
userId: string;
resource: string;
result: 'success' | 'failure';
metadata?: Record<string, any>;
}
async function auditLog(entry: Omit<AuditEntry, 'timestamp'>): Promise<void> {
const log: AuditEntry = { ...entry, timestamp: new Date() };
// Log to Retell AI analytics
await retellaiClient.track('audit', log);
// Also log locally for compliance
console.log('[AUDIT]', JSON.stringify(log));
}
// Usage
await auditLog({
action: 'retellai.api.call',
userId: currentUser.id,
resource: '/v1/resource',
result: 'success',
});
Resources
Next Steps
For production deployment, see retellai-prod-checklist.