What this is, and what it is not
This is not an AI provider key, and it is not just for developers. CITETRACK_KEY is the secret CiteTrack uses to encrypt the sensitive things it stores in your database: your engine API keys (OpenAI, Perplexity, Gemini, Anthropic) and your Google connection tokens. Think of it as the master password that locks the box your keys live in.
Why it matters
CiteTrack always encrypts those secrets with AES-256-GCM before saving them, that part is automatic. By default the encryption key is derived from your WordPress auth salts, which works with no setup. Defining a dedicated CITETRACK_KEY is the hardened option: it means that even someone who dumps your database and can read your salts still can’t decrypt your stored keys without this separate secret. It’s optional, but recommended on production and client sites.
Add it
- Open
wp-config.php(via your host’s file manager or SFTP). - Just above the line
/* That’s all, stop editing! */, add:
define( 'CITETRACK_KEY', 'your-32-plus-character-random-string' );
- Generate the random value with a password manager or the free WordPress salt generator (use any one of the long strings).
- Save the file. Your keys are now encrypted with your own dedicated secret.
CITETRACK_KEY after keys are saved, the old keys can no longer be decrypted, simply re-enter them under Citations. Keep this value out of Git and version control.