# SecretNotFoundError: Secret xxx does not exist

**URL:** <https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101>\
**Category:** Help & Support\
**Created:** [June 26, 2025, 7:18am UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101 "2025-06-26T07:18:03Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Felix\_Fan](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/watermelon/user_avatar/www.alphagenomecommunity.com/felix_fan/32/65_2.png) [@Felix\_Fan](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/u/Felix_Fan)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 7:18am UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101/1 "2025-06-26T07:18:03Z")

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I have created the API key, but I can’t use it in colab when I run quick\_start.ipynb.

/usr/local/lib/python3.11/dist-packages/google/colab/userdata.py in get(key)  
66 raise TimeoutException(key)  
67 if not resp.get(‘exists’, False):  
—\> 68 raise SecretNotFoundError(key)  
69 if not resp.get(‘access’, False):  
70 raise NotebookAccessError(key)

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**Author:** ![xiexm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/85f322/32.png) [@xiexm](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/u/xiexm)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2025, 3:30pm UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101/2 "2025-06-26T15:30:12Z")

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In google collab, you need to create a variable for secret key , The variables should be accessible in the right sidebar (with the key 🗝 icon)

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Andersson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/watermelon/user_avatar/www.alphagenomecommunity.com/arnold_andersson/32/217_2.png) [@Arnold\_Andersson](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/u/Arnold_Andersson)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2025, 3:57pm UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101/3 "2025-06-29T15:57:43Z")

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Hi, I have a similar problem with running notebooks in Colab, but in my case I get the message “API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key.” even though this  
is a key created through the web page and and added to Colab and referenced by the key name in the code.

I have tried to create a new key but got the same error.

Any advice on what to try?

BR, Arnold

\_MultiThreadedRendezvous: \<\_MultiThreadedRendezvous of RPC that terminated with:  
status = StatusCode.INVALID\_ARGUMENT  
details = “API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key.”  
debug\_error\_string = “UNKNOWN:Error received from peer ipv4:74.125.26.95:443 {grpc\_status:3, grpc\_message:“API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key.”}”

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tward](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/watermelon/user_avatar/www.alphagenomecommunity.com/tward/32/17_2.png) [@tward](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/u/tward)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 9:44am UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101/4 "2025-06-30T09:44:07Z")

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Hi Arnold!

Hmm, do make sure you’ve copied the key correctly from [https://deepmind.google.com/science/alphagenome/account/settings](https://deepmind.google.com/science/alphagenome/account/settings). If you’re still having issues, can you email [alphagenome@google.com](mailto:alphagenome@google.com) with the gmail account you’re having issues with and we’ll investigate further. Thanks!

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**Author:** ![Arnold\_Andersson](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/watermelon/user_avatar/www.alphagenomecommunity.com/arnold_andersson/32/217_2.png) [@Arnold\_Andersson](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/u/Arnold_Andersson)\
**Post date:** [June 30, 2025, 5:14pm UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101/5 "2025-06-30T17:14:33Z")

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Hi there, I see both my old and new key in the settings page and they look correct from when I created them.

As a test I wrote out the value of the keys as I was troubleshooting using below  
code in the notebook and the printout was matched the key value.

userdata.get(‘ALPHA\_GENOME\_API\_KEY’)

I also tried exchanging the userdata.get call with the actual key value but I got the same error.

The only thing I can think of is if I managed to enter one of the key values incorrect (even though I tripel checked) since I found no way of copy and paste the key value into Colabs Sectrets section.

Is there a way to import och copy the key to Colab, so I can check that?

BR, Arnold

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**Author:** ![PietroAnc](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/watermelon/user_avatar/www.alphagenomecommunity.com/pietroanc/32/251_2.png) [@PietroAnc](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/u/PietroAnc)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2025, 7:28am UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101/6 "2025-07-01T07:28:55Z")

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Hi there, I just started the “quick\_start” colab but got the same error of Arnold here. I generated the API KEY in “secrets” section, successfully loaded the model (dna\_model…) but then when trying to investigate the lung sequence, a couple of code’s chunks below, I got: “API key not valid. Please pass a valid API key”.  
Thanks in advance

Pietro

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tward](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/watermelon/user_avatar/www.alphagenomecommunity.com/tward/32/17_2.png) [@tward](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/u/tward)\
**Post date:** [July 2, 2025, 9:37pm UTC](https://www.alphagenomecommunity.com/t/secretnotfounderror-secret-xxx-does-not-exist/101/7 "2025-07-02T21:37:39Z")

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Hi both,

If you’re still having issues, can you email [alphagenome@google.com](mailto:alphagenome@google.com) from the account you registered with and include the API key that’s failing, and we’ll try and investigate.

Thanks!