# ⚠️ URGENT: Apify Actor Environment Variables Setup
**Issue**: Actor is getting 401 Unauthorized from BallDontLie API
**Cause**: Environment variables not properly configured in Apify Console
**Status**: NEEDS IMMEDIATE FIX
---
## Problem
The Actor deployment is failing with:
```
401 Unauthorized
Failed to fetch games: AxiosError: Request failed with status code 401
```
This means the `BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY` is not being passed to the Actor at runtime.
---
## Solution: Configure Environment Variables in Apify Console
### Step 1: Open Actor Settings
1. Go to: https://console.apify.com/actors/OdaJN92JUkidz02uv
2. Click on **"Settings"** tab
### Step 2: Add Environment Variables
Scroll to **"Environment variables"** section and add:
| Variable Name | Value | Notes |
|---------------|-------|-------|
| `BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY` | `<your-balldontlie-api-key>` | GOAT tier key |
| `BALLDONTLIE_API_URL` | `https://api.balldontlie.io/v1` | Optional |
| `BALLDONTLIE_RATE_LIMIT` | `600` | Optional |
| `ODDS_API_KEY` | `<your-odds-api-key>` | Optional |
### Step 3: Click "Save"
### Step 4: Test the Actor
1. Go to the **"Console"** tab
2. Click **"Start"** with this input:
```json
{
"mode": "batch",
"tool": "get_player_projections",
"arguments": {
"sport": "NBA",
"slate": "main",
"maxPlayers": 10
}
}
```
---
## Alternative Method: Using Apify Secrets (Recommended)
For better security, use Apify Secrets instead:
### Step 1: Create a Secret
1. Go to: https://console.apify.com/account/secrets
2. Click **"Add Secret"**
3. Name: `BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY`
4. Value: `<your-balldontlie-api-key>`
5. Click **"Create"**
### Step 2: Reference in Actor
1. Go to Actor Settings
2. In Environment variables, add:
- Name: `BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY`
- Value: `@BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY` (references the secret)
---
## Why actor.json environmentVariables Didn't Work
The `environmentVariables` section in `.actor/actor.json`:
```json
"environmentVariables": {
"BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY": "<your-balldontlie-api-key>"
}
```
**Should work** but has limitations:
- Only applied during **build time** in some cases
- May not persist across Actor versions
- Better to set directly in Console for reliability
---
## Verification After Setup
Once environment variables are configured, run this test in the Actor Console:
**Input:**
```json
{
"mode": "batch",
"tool": "get_player_projections",
"arguments": {
"sport": "NBA",
"maxPlayers": 5
}
}
```
**Expected Output:**
```
Generating projections for NBA (main slate)
Fetching DFS salaries...
Found X players with salaries
Fetching player list from BallDontLie API...
Cached 100 players for NBA
Processing 5 players (limited from 100)
✅ Success
```
**Should NOT see:**
```
401 Unauthorized
Failed to fetch games
```
---
## All Required Environment Variables
### Critical (Actor won't work without these)
- ✅ **BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY** - Your GOAT tier API key
### Optional (Actor will use fallbacks)
- **BALLDONTLIE_API_URL** - Default: `https://api.balldontlie.io/v1`
- **BALLDONTLIE_RATE_LIMIT** - Default: `600` (GOAT tier)
- **ODDS_API_KEY** - For live odds tool (Free tier available)
- **ROTOGRINDERS_API_KEY** - For salary data (Actor falls back to mock)
- **DRAFTKINGS_API_URL** - For salary data (Actor falls back to mock)
---
## Quick Fix Command (if you have Apify CLI)
```bash
# Set environment variable via CLI
apify secrets set BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY <your-balldontlie-api-key>
# Update Actor to use the secret
apify push
```
---
## Troubleshooting
### Still Getting 401 After Setting Env Vars?
1. **Verify the key is active**: Test locally first
```bash
curl -H "Authorization: <your-balldontlie-api-key>" \
"https://api.balldontlie.io/v1/teams"
```
2. **Check Actor logs**: Look for env var loading
```
Should see: Using API key: d2bc0f1b...
Should NOT see: API key undefined or missing
```
3. **Rebuild the Actor**: After setting env vars, trigger a new build
- Go to **Builds** tab
- Click **"Build"** on latest version
4. **Check case sensitivity**: Environment variable names are case-sensitive
- ✅ `BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY`
- ❌ `balldontlie_api_key`
---
## Expected Timeline
- **Setup time**: 2 minutes
- **Rebuild time**: 2-3 minutes
- **Test time**: 30 seconds
- **Total**: ~5 minutes to fix
---
## After Fix
Once working, you should see in Actor logs:
```
Generating projections for NBA (main slate)
Fetching DFS salaries...
Fetching player list from BallDontLie API...
Cached 100 players for NBA
Processing X players...
✅ Retrieved X projections
```
---
## Priority: URGENT 🚨
This is blocking the Actor from working. Please configure the environment variables in Apify Console immediately.
**Link**: https://console.apify.com/actors/OdaJN92JUkidz02uv/settings
---
## Need Help?
If you're still having issues:
1. Check the Actor logs: https://console.apify.com/actors/OdaJN92JUkidz02uv/runs
2. Verify your BallDontLie subscription: https://app.balldontlie.io/account
3. Test the API key locally: Run `npx tsx test-quick.ts`
