We’re excited to announce a new feature that will help you deliver faster search experiences to your users: client-side API keys. This new capability allows you to make API requests directly from your frontend applications while maintaining security.

A New Era of Speed

Until now, Repliers has only supported server-side API requests – a requirement we maintained to ensure the security of your API keys and client data. But with the release of our API Firewall in Q4 2024, we can now offer a more flexible approach that dramatically reduces search latency.

Why Are Client-Side Requests Faster?

When you make a server-side request, your user’s search query needs to make four network trips: from the browser to your server, then to Repliers’ API, back to your server, and finally back to the user’s browser. With client-side requests, we cut this in half – the request goes directly from the browser to Repliers and back, resulting in significantly lower latency.

This direct approach is especially valuable in today’s development landscape, where many developers are building frontend-focused applications without traditional server infrastructure. Whether you’re rapidly prototyping with AI assistance or building production apps that rely primarily on client-side logic, client-side API keys eliminate the need to set up backend services just to make secure API calls.

Perfect for the Vibe Coding Era

This feature couldn’t come at a better time. With the rise of vibe coding – where developers rapidly prototype and build applications using AI assistance, often without traditional backend infrastructure – many developers are creating frontend-heavy applications that make direct API calls.

Related: How a Non-Developer Built a Real Estate Stats App Using Repliers

Previously, vibe coders using Repliers had to either set up server-side infrastructure (which slows down the rapid prototyping process) or accept the security risks of exposing server-side API keys in client code. Client-side API keys eliminate this friction entirely, letting you integrate powerful search capabilities directly into your frontend applications without compromising security or requiring backend setup.

Whether you’re building a quick prototype with Claude, iterating on a new idea, or creating a production-ready app without traditional server infrastructure, client-side API keys let you focus on what matters most: shipping great user experiences.

How to Use Client-Side API Keys

To get started with client-side requests, there’s a couple of quick steps involved:

1. Generate a client-side API key from the Repliers Developer Portal
2. Use our new client-side endpoint: csr-api.repliers.io (instead of the standard api.repliers.io)

Understanding the Limitations

While client-side API keys offer improved performance, they come with some important limitations to maintain security:

• They can only be used for search requests and other operations that don’t expose sensitive data
• Personalization features require a server-side API key, as they need access to your client’s data
• The API Firewall automatically protects against abuse and unauthorized access

What If I’m Already Using Server-Side Requests?

If you’re currently using Repliers with server-side requests, there’s no action required. Your existing integration will continue to work as expected. However, if you want to experiment with reduced latency, we encourage you to try our new client-side capabilities.

The choice between client-side and server-side requests doesn’t have to be all-or-nothing. You can use client-side requests for search operations while maintaining server-side requests for personalization and other sensitive operations.

Getting Started

Ready to speed up your search experience? Visit our developer portal to generate your first client-side API key. Our documentation has been updated with a detailed developer guide on implementing client-side API keys.

As always, we’re here to help if you have any questions about implementing this new feature. Reach out to our support team or check our updated documentation for more details.