Configure your API key

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Prerequisites

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Steps

• Linux
• macOS
• Windows

Permanent environment variable

Set a permanent environment variable for the current user:

1

Add the environment variable

Add the variable to ~/.bashrc:

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
echo "export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY='YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY'" >> ~/.bashrc

Edit manually

Open ~/.bashrc:

Copy

nano ~/.bashrc

Add the following content to the file:

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

In the nano editor, press Ctrl+X and then Y. Press Enter to save and close the file.

2

Apply the changes

Apply changes:

Copy

source ~/.bashrc

3

Verify

Verify in a new session:

Copy

echo $DASHSCOPE_API_KEY

Temporary environment variable

Set a temporary variable (current session only):

1

Set the variable

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

2

Verify

Copy

echo $DASHSCOPE_API_KEY

Permanent environment variable

Set a permanent environment variable for the current user:

1

Check your default shell type

Copy

echo $SHELL

2

Add the environment variable

• Zsh
• Bash

Add the variable to ~/.zshrc:

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
echo "export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY='YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY'" >> ~/.zshrc

Edit manually

Open ~/.zshrc:

Copy

nano ~/.zshrc

Add the following content to the file:

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

In the nano editor, press Ctrl+X and then Y. Press Enter to save and close the file.

Add the variable to ~/.bash_profile:

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
echo "export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY='YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY'" >> ~/.bash_profile

Edit manually

Open ~/.bash_profile:

Copy

nano ~/.bash_profile

Add the following content to the file:

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

In the nano editor, press Ctrl+X and then Y. Press Enter to save and close the file.

3

Apply the changes

• Zsh
• Bash

Copy

source ~/.zshrc

Copy

source ~/.bash_profile

4

Verify

Verify in a new session:

Copy

echo $DASHSCOPE_API_KEY

Temporary environment variable

Set a temporary variable (current session only):

1

Set the variable

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
export DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

2

Verify

Copy

echo $DASHSCOPE_API_KEY

Set environment variables through System Properties, CMD, or PowerShell.

• System Properties
• CMD
• PowerShell

• Permanent environment variable (requires admin permissions)
• Takes effect in new sessions only — restart terminals, IDEs, and apps

1

Open System Properties

Press Win+Q, search for "Edit the system environment variables", and open System Properties.

2

Add the environment variable

Click Environment Variables > System Variables > New. Set name to DASHSCOPE_API_KEY and value to your API key.

3

Confirm

Click OK on all three dialog boxes.

4

Verify

Verify in CMD or PowerShell:

• CMD:

Copy

echo %DASHSCOPE_API_KEY%

• Windows PowerShell:

Copy

echo $env:DASHSCOPE_API_KEY

Permanent environment variable

1

Set the variable

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
setx DASHSCOPE_API_KEY "YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

2

Open a new session

Open a new CMD session.

3

Verify

Copy

echo %DASHSCOPE_API_KEY%

Temporary environment variable

1

Run the following command

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
set DASHSCOPE_API_KEY="YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

2

Verify

Copy

echo %DASHSCOPE_API_KEY%

Permanent environment variable

1

Set the variable

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("DASHSCOPE_API_KEY", "YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY", [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::User)

2

Open a new session

Open a new PowerShell session.

3

Verify

Copy

echo $env:DASHSCOPE_API_KEY

Temporary environment variable

1

Run the following command

Copy

# Replace YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY with your API key.
$env:DASHSCOPE_API_KEY = "YOUR_DASHSCOPE_API_KEY"

2

Verify

Copy

echo $env:DASHSCOPE_API_KEY

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FAQ

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echo works but code reports "no API key found"

• Non-permanent variable: Temporary variables work in the current session only. Set a permanent variable instead.
• Need restart: Restart IDE, terminal, or app. Service-managed apps may need service restart.
• Service manager config: For service-managed apps (systemd, supervisord), add the variable to the service config file.
• Using sudo: sudo doesn't inherit environment variables. Use sudo -E python xx.py (the -E flag passes variables) or run without sudo if permissions allow.
• Base URL required: Set Qwen Cloud's base URL:
  • In code:

dashscope.base_http_api_url = 'https://dashscope-intl.aliyuncs.com/api/v1'

• As environment variable:

export DASHSCOPE_HTTP_BASE_URL='https://dashscope-intl.aliyuncs.com/api/v1'