GitHub Actions secrets for the post generator

Add these under Settings → Secrets and variables → Actions in your repo. Only OPENAI_API_KEY is required; the rest are optional and enable Reddit, Google search, and NVD vulnerability data in posts.


Required

Secret name Where to get it Notes
OPENAI_API_KEY OpenAI API keys Create an API key. Needed for the LLM (post generation).

Optional: Reddit

Enables Reddit search snippets (e.g. “Reddit users discuss…”) in the post. You need a Reddit script app and the account it runs as.

Secret name Where to get it Notes
REDDIT_CLIENT_ID Reddit apps → Create app → Script → under the app name you see a short string The “client ID” (under the app name).
REDDIT_CLIENT_SECRET Same app → secret field The “secret” (only shown once).
REDDIT_USERNAME Your Reddit account The Reddit username for the account that “owns” the script app.
REDDIT_PASSWORD Your Reddit account That account’s password. (Use a dedicated account + app password if available.)

Steps: Go to https://www.reddit.com/prefs/apps → Create app → choose script → set a name and redirect URI (e.g. http://localhost) → Create. Copy client ID and secret into the secrets above; use the same Reddit account for REDDIT_USERNAME and REDDIT_PASSWORD.


Enables Google search snippets (reviews, articles) for product names, and optional official product URL lookup when official_url is not set in products.yaml. Uses the Custom Search JSON API (Programmable Search Engine).

Secret name Where to get it Notes
GOOGLE_API_KEY Google Cloud Console → APIs & Services → Credentials → Create credentials → API key Enable “Custom Search API” for the project. Restrict the key to Custom Search API if you want.
GOOGLE_CSE_ID Programmable Search Engine → Add → get Search engine ID Create a search engine; you can search “the entire web” or specific sites. Free tier: 100 queries/day.

Steps:

  1. In Google Cloud Console, create or select a project, enable Custom Search API, create an API key.
  2. At https://programmablesearchengine.google.com/, add a search engine (e.g. “Search the entire web”), get the Search engine ID.
  3. Add GOOGLE_API_KEY and GOOGLE_CSE_ID as repo secrets.

Optional: NVD (vulnerability / CVE data)

Enables CVE/vulnerability snippets from the National Vulnerability Database (e.g. for routers, IoT devices). Free API; a key raises rate limits.

Secret name Where to get it Notes
NVD_API_KEY NVD API key request Request a key (org name, email). Without a key: 5 requests / 30 s; with key: 50 / 30 s.

Steps: Go to https://nvd.nist.gov/developers/request-an-api-key → submit the form → use the key they email you as NVD_API_KEY.


Summary

If an optional secret is missing, that source is skipped and the generator still runs using Amazon metadata (and any other sources you did configure).