# Getting started
This guide helps you configure your server to programmatically manage **backend wallets**. Unlike client-side integrations, backend setup requires an additional layer of security to protect the developer-controlled private keys managed by your application.
::::steps
## Get your credentials
To interact with backend wallets, you need two distinct credentials from the [Openfort Dashboard](https://dashboard.openfort.io).
| Credential | Purpose | Storage |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| **API Secret Key** | Authenticates your server to the Openfort API. | Project settings |
| **Wallet Secret** | Encrypts and decrypts your backend wallet private keys. | Created by you |
:::warning\[The wallet secret]
The **wallet secret** is a master key that Openfort doesn't store in plaintext. It is required for every session initialization where you intend to sign transactions.
:::
## Install the SDK
Openfort provides a high-level Node.js SDK to handle the heavy lifting of transaction signing and wallet orchestration.
:::code-group
```sh [npm]
npm install @openfort/openfort-node
```
```sh [yarn]
yarn add @openfort/openfort-node
```
```sh [pnpm]
pnpm add @openfort/openfort-node
```
:::
## Configure environment variables
Create a `.env` file in your project root. Add this file to your `.gitignore` to prevent leaking sensitive credentials.
```text [.env]
# Your API Secret Key (starts with sk_test_ or sk_live_)
OPENFORT_SECRET_KEY=sk_test_...
# The Wallet Secret you generated in the dashboard
OPENFORT_WALLET_SECRET=...
```
## Initialize the SDK
To enable backend wallet functionality (`create`, `sign`, or `export`), pass the `walletSecret` into the Openfort configuration object during initialization.
:::code-group
```ts [ESM (import)]
import Openfort from '@openfort/openfort-node';
// Initialize with both API Secret and Wallet Secret
const openfort = new Openfort(process.env.OPENFORT_SECRET_KEY, {
walletSecret: process.env.OPENFORT_WALLET_SECRET,
});
export default openfort;
```
```ts [CommonJS]
const Openfort = require('@openfort/openfort-node').default;
const openfort = new Openfort(process.env.OPENFORT_SECRET_KEY, {
walletSecret: process.env.OPENFORT_WALLET_SECRET,
});
module.exports = openfort;
```
:::
::::
## Security best practices
To maintain the integrity of your **backend wallets**, follow these security guidelines:
* **Never expose secrets:** Ensure `OPENFORT_WALLET_SECRET` never reaches your frontend or client-side logs.
* **Use a secret manager:** For production, use services like AWS Secrets Manager, Google Secret Manager, or Doppler instead of plain `.env` files.
* **Rotation policy:** Periodically rotate your wallet secret to mitigate the risk of long-term credential exposure.
:::tip\[Runnable examples]
For a quick start, clone the [Node SDK examples](https://github.com/openfort-xyz/openfort-node/tree/main/examples) directory. It includes runnable scripts for all features covered in this documentation.
:::
## Next steps
Now that your environment is ready, you can start creating and managing programmatic accounts.