Is my Replit app secure?

Replit handles the platform; secrets, who can open your app, and your data rules are on you. A 5-minute check before you publish.

A Replit app is as secure as the settings you give it. Replit runs the platform. You choose who can open the app, where secrets live, and which routes check who is calling. Then check from the outside that nothing private reaches the browser.

Replit's shared-responsibility docs put the split plainly: Replit secures the Agent, platform and infrastructure; you are responsible for your application's contents and for configuring the tools Replit provides (Replit shared responsibility).

What usually goes wrong

• A key pasted into code or chat instead of Secrets. Replit says to use Secrets (and Connectors) for API keys, tokens and connection strings, and not to paste keys into Agent prompts (Replit Secrets; shared responsibility).
• An internal tool left Public. Apps in a personal workspace default to Public. Password protected, Workspace only and Invite only are the tighter options (Who can access your app).
• Routes Agent generated with no sign-in or per-user checks. Replit's model puts usage policy and access control on you. Tell Agent who may access what, and review the routes it writes before you publish (shared responsibility).
• A secret copied into frontend code. Anything in the browser bundle is public. Keep Secrets on the server side.
• .replit, .env or similar files served on the live host. Those files should never be reachable from a visitor's browser.

5-minute check

1. Run Replit's pre-publish security scan. The Publishing tool always runs one; a setting controls whether critical findings block publishing (Publishing overview). Paid builders can also run a deeper Agent security scan from the Security Center (Agent security scans).
2. Open the app signed out. In a private window, visit the live URL the way a stranger would and see what loads.
3. Compare Secrets to hard-coded values. Open the Secrets tool and search the project for keys that belong there but are sitting in source instead.
4. Search the live JavaScript. DevTools → Network → reload, then search responses for sk-, sk_live_ and similar prefixes. Or use the free scan above.
5. Check the Sharing setting. Confirm Public, Password protected, Workspace only or Invite only matches who should open the app (Who can access your app).

Review this app's security before I publish. Do not ask me for any secret key. 1) List every route or endpoint and who can call it (signed out, signed in, or a specific role). 2) Flag any route that reads or writes personal data without a sign-in or ownership check. 3) List every place secrets are read, and move any that appear in frontend code into Replit Secrets used only on the server. 4) Confirm the Sharing setting matches who should open the app. Show me the changes before you make them.

What the free ShipLatch scan can and can't see

The free scan is passive. It reads what any visitor can see: your live page and its scripts, response headers, and a short list of files that should never be public, including /.replit and /replit.nix. It flags leaked secret keys, exposed files and missing headers. It does not sign in, open your Replit Secrets tool, query your database or read private Replit code, so it cannot tell you whether your routes or data rules are right. Use Replit's scan and a signed-out check of the live app for that.

FAQ

Is Replit secure?
Replit runs the platform: hosting, encryption, and the tools around Agent, Secrets and publishing. Its shared-responsibility docs say you are responsible for your app's contents and for how you use those tools: who can open the app, where secrets live, and who can call each route.

Are Replit Secrets visible to visitors?
No. Replit stores Secrets encrypted and exposes them to your code as environment variables. Visitors only see them if your code prints them into a public page, a public file, or the JavaScript the browser downloads.

Are Replit apps public by default?
Apps in a personal workspace default to Public when you publish. Organization workspaces default to a private option. You can choose Public, Password protected, Workspace only, or Invite only under Sharing in the Publishing tool.

Does Replit's security scan replace a review?
No. Replit always runs a security scan before publishing, and a setting controls whether critical findings block publishing. Paid builders can also run a deeper Agent security scan. Replit's own docs say a scan is not a complete security review; use it with code review, tests and a check of the running app.

Where do I put my API key?
In Replit Secrets (or Connectors), and read it only from server-side code. Do not paste keys into Agent prompts, client components, or files that get served to visitors.

Does ShipLatch read my Replit Secrets?
No. The free scan is passive: it reads your live page, its scripts, response headers and a short list of files that should never be public (including /.replit and /replit.nix). It does not sign in, open your Secrets tool, query your database or read private Replit code.

Related: Replit security checklist · Is my Base44 app secure? · Hide API keys in an AI-built app · How to check if your .env is exposed · Pre-launch checklist

Want the whole pre-launch process in one place? Get App Security for Vibe Coders, our $9 PDF playbook. See what's inside.

More guides

• Is my Lovable app secure?
• How to enable Supabase Row Level Security (RLS)
• Exposed Supabase service_role key: what to do now
• Lovable security checklist