Ethereum: Cannot find a value for the configuration variable ‘INFURA_API_KEY’

Ethereum Hardhat Project Configuration Issue with INFURA API KEY

When setting up a new npx Hardhat project, an error occurs when attempting to import the Infura API key from your .env file. This issue is relatively common and can be resolved by understanding how to properly configure your Hardhat project.

The Error: HH1201 Cannot find a value for the configuration variable “INFURA_API_KEY”

Error HH1201 indicates that the configuration variable “INFURA_API_KEY” cannot be found in your code. This error usually occurs when the code tries to access or use an environment variable, but it is not set.

How ​​to fix the problem: Read your .env file

To fix this problem, you need to make sure your .env file is properly configured with the Infura API key. Here are a few steps to help you fix the problem:

Step 1: Create a new .env file

Create a new file called .env in the root of your project directory. This file will contain all of your environment variables.

touch .env

Step 2: Add the Infura API key to your .env file

Add the following line to your .env file:

INFURA_API_KEY=YOUR_INFURA_API_KEY_HERE

Replace YOUR_INFURA_API_KEY_HERE with your current Infura API key.

For example, if you use a private key or environment variable for your Infura API key, you can add it like this:

INFURA_API_KEY=YOUR_PRIVATE_KEY_HERE

Step 3: Update your Hardhat configuration

To use the Infura API in your Hardhat project, you need to update the configuration variables. In particular, you need to set the INFURA_API_KEY variable.

You can do this by adding an infuraConfig.json file to your project root with the following content:

{
"key": "",
"secret": ""
}

If you use a private key or environment variable for your Infura API key, update the INFURA_API_KEY field accordingly.

Step 4: Update your Hardhat project’s configuration

Update the hardhat.config.js file to use the updated configuration variables. Specifically, add the following line:

module.exports = {
// ... other configurations ...
defaultConfig: {
// ... other configurations ...
infura: {
key: process.env.INFURA_API_KEY,
secret: process.env.INFURA_SECRET
}
},
};

Step 5: Run your hard hat project

Finally, run your hard hat project with the following command:

npx hardhat

The INFURA_API_KEY variable should now be set correctly for your Infura API key.

Example use case

Here is an example of how this configuration is used in a simple smart contract deployment:

const ethers = require('ethers');
// Hard hat configurations
module.exports = {
// ... other configurations ...
defaultConfig: {
// ... other configurations ...
infura: {
key: process.env.INFURA_API_KEY,
secret: process.env.INFURA_SECRET
}
},
};
// Smart contract deployment
const deployer = new ethers.Deployer('0x...'); // replace with your deployed contract address
async function main() {
try {
const contractAddress = await deployer.address();
console.log(contractAddress);
} catch (error) {
console.error(error);
}
}
main();

If you follow these steps, you should be able to resolve the HH1201 error and successfully use your Infura API key in your Hardhat project.