# Server fetch throws a missing environment variable error, what am I missing?

Asked by Tomas Reuter on 2026-10-31. Tags: nextjs, environment, setup.

My client-side setup behaves correctly. The provider mounts, the hooks
return content, all good. The moment I add a server-side `fetchContent` call
it fails complaining about a missing environment variable.

Things I have already checked:

- `NEXT_PUBLIC_CROCT_APP_ID` is set and the client clearly reads it
- the value is the application id from the dashboard, no typo
- restarted the dev server after editing `.env`

So what else does the server side need that the client did not?

## 2 answers

### Accepted answer from yusufd (2026-10-31)

The App Router provider is env-driven from `NEXT_PUBLIC_CROCT_APP_ID`,
which is why your client side is happy. Server calls need a second variable
that the client never touches: `CROCT_API_KEY`. Add that and the
`fetchContent` error clears.

One catch that bites people right after: the key has to be one with the
"Issue user tokens" permission. If you generate a key without it, the env
var is present but server auth still fails, which looks like a different
problem entirely. Create or check the key's permission in the dashboard, not
just its existence. There is a whole thread on that specific failure in
[the API key needs the Issue user tokens permission](/answers/croct-api-key-issue-user-tokens-permission).

#### Reply from Tomas Reuter (2026-11-02)

That was it. I had the key set but without the token permission, so
behaviour looked like a missing variable. Regenerated with the right
permission and the server fetch works. Cheers both.

### Answer from marta_k (2026-11-01)

Adding the gotcha that got me: do not prefix the key with `NEXT_PUBLIC`.
The app id is public and meant to be exposed to the browser, so it carries
that prefix. The API key is server-only. If you name it
`NEXT_PUBLIC_CROCT_API_KEY` you both fail to satisfy the server variable and
leak a secret into the client bundle.