Environment variables

Securely managing your API keys and environment variables is essential for interacting with the lomi. API. This guide covers the basics you need to get started.

API keys: Test v. Live

lomi. provides two types of API keys, identifiable by their prefixes:

• Test Keys (lomi_sk_test_...): Use these exclusively for development and testing purposes in the sandbox environment. They allow you to simulate API calls without affecting live data or processing real payments.
• Live Keys (lomi_sk_live_...): Use these only in your production environment to process real customer transactions. Live keys require your account to be fully verified and activated.

Never hardcode your API keys directly in your source code. Never commit them to version control systems like Git.

Managing environment variables

The recommended way to handle your API keys and other configuration details is through environment variables.

Required variables:

• LOMI_API_KEY: Your lomi. API secret key (either Test or Live).
  Terminal

  export LOMI_API_KEY=lomi_sk_test_... # For testing
  # or
  export LOMI_API_KEY=lomi_sk_live_... # For production
• LOMI_WEBHOOK_SECRET: Your unique webhook signing secret, used to verify incoming webhook requests. You obtain this from the lomi. Dashboard.
  Terminal

  export LOMI_WEBHOOK_SECRET=whsec_...

Optional variables:

• LOMI_API_URL: Specifies the API base URL. If not set, the SDK might default based on the key type, but explicitly setting it is safer.
  Terminal

  # Sandbox for testing
  export LOMI_API_URL=https://sandbox.api.lomi.africa/v1 
  # Production for live transactions
  export LOMI_API_URL=https://api.lomi.africa/v1 
• LOMI_TIMEOUT: API request timeout in milliseconds (e.g., 30000 for 30 seconds).

Using variables in your Code

Node.js SDK Initialization

Access your environment variables when initializing the SDK:

import { LomiSDK } from 'lomi.cli';
 
const lomi = new LomiSDK({
  apiKey: process.env.LOMI_API_KEY,
  baseUrl: process.env.LOMI_API_URL, // Explicitly set the base URL
  timeout: process.env.LOMI_TIMEOUT ? parseInt(process.env.LOMI_TIMEOUT) : undefined
});
 
// Now you can use the 'lomi' instance to make API calls
// e.g., await lomi.merchants.get('your_merchant_id');

Webhook signature verification

Use your webhook secret to verify the authenticity of incoming webhooks:

// Inside your webhook handler (e.g., using Express)
// req.rawBody contains the raw request body buffer
// req.headers['x-lomi-signature'] contains the signature header
 
try {
  const isValid = lomi.webhooks.verifySignature(
    req.rawBody, 
    req.headers['x-lomi-signature'] as string,
    process.env.LOMI_WEBHOOK_SECRET
  );
 
  if (isValid) {
    // Process the verified webhook event (req.body)
  } else {
    // Signature is invalid, reject the request
    res.status(400).send('Invalid signature.');
  }
} catch (error) {
  console.error('Webhook verification error:', error);
  res.status(500).send('Webhook verification failed.');
}

Best practices

• Secure storage: Use environment variables or a dedicated secrets management service. Never commit keys to Git.
• Access control: Limit who can access API keys. Use different keys for different applications if necessary.
• Environment separation: Strictly use Test keys for development/testing and Live keys for production.
• Rotation: Consider rotating your API keys periodically for enhanced security (available in the Dashboard).