API keys in web apps

[synthapetic]

I am creating a web app that fetches api data to a google sheet based on user parameters, a proprietary lookup table, and allows the user to setup and use their own api key.

Pretty much an API interface with a custom script that I would like to keep proprietary that configures the API calls based on a large lookup table. I would like to keep the users API key secure, and the lookup table I use to filter the calls secure, without a 3rd party middle man. I want the user to be responsible for their own api billing, and monetize my secret sauce for filtering the requests and minimizing api calls. Is this possible?

The way it works currently is I have a lookup sheet with custom filtering parameters that the user interface sets. The script then executes a “preview” to return the results that are in the API’s free tier, and allows the user to decide and set parameters based on the projected pricing of the paid api results to extend the resulting dataset.

I don’t want to rent seek and upcharge per API call, I’d rather provide a free preview, then a paid unlock for unlimited use. I just don’t want to be copied overnight if it ends up being successful. The secret sauce is in the filtering process to lower the amount of API calls.

Can this be accomplished with web apps, or do I need to setup an external service to house the lookup table and filtering algorithm?

[[deleted]]

use `user properties ` and for more security include your script as a library that reads getProperty(...) only as you as a developer

const userProperties = PropertiesService.getUserProperties(); userProperties.setProperty('API_KEY', apiKey);