[python] Django: ImproperlyConfigured: The SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty

I am trying to set up multiple setting files (development, production, ..) that include some base settings. Cannot succeed though. When I try to run ./manage.py runserver I am getting the following error:

(cb)clime@den /srv/www/cb $ ./manage.py runserver
ImproperlyConfigured: The SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty.

Here is my settings module:

(cb)clime@den /srv/www/cb/cb/settings $ ll
total 24
-rw-rw-r--. 1 clime clime 8230 Oct  2 02:56 base.py
-rw-rw-r--. 1 clime clime  489 Oct  2 03:09 development.py
-rw-rw-r--. 1 clime clime   24 Oct  2 02:34 __init__.py
-rw-rw-r--. 1 clime clime  471 Oct  2 02:51 production.py

Base settings (contain SECRET_KEY):

(cb)clime@den /srv/www/cb/cb/settings $ cat base.py:
# Django base settings for cb project.

import django.conf.global_settings as defaults

DEBUG = False
TEMPLATE_DEBUG = False

INTERNAL_IPS = ('127.0.0.1',)

ADMINS = (
    ('clime', '[email protected]'),
)

MANAGERS = ADMINS

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        #'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2', # Add 'postgresql_psycopg2', 'mysql', 'sqlite3' or 'oracle'.
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
        'NAME': 'cwu',                   # Or path to database file if using sqlite3.
        'USER': 'clime',                 # Not used with sqlite3.
        'PASSWORD': '',                  # Not used with sqlite3.
        'HOST': '',                      # Set to empty string for localhost. Not used with sqlite3.
        'PORT': '',                      # Set to empty string for default. Not used with sqlite3.
    }
}

# Local time zone for this installation. Choices can be found here:
# http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_tz_zones_by_name
# although not all choices may be available on all operating systems.
# In a Windows environment this must be set to your system time zone.
TIME_ZONE = 'Europe/Prague'

# Language code for this installation. All choices can be found here:
# http://www.i18nguy.com/unicode/language-identifiers.html
LANGUAGE_CODE = 'en-us'

SITE_ID = 1

# If you set this to False, Django will make some optimizations so as not
# to load the internationalization machinery.
USE_I18N = False

# If you set this to False, Django will not format dates, numbers and
# calendars according to the current locale.
USE_L10N = False # TODO: make this true and accustom date time input

DATE_INPUT_FORMATS = defaults.DATE_INPUT_FORMATS + ('%d %b %y', '%d %b, %y') # + ('25 Oct 13', '25 Oct, 13')

# If you set this to False, Django will not use timezone-aware datetimes.
USE_TZ = True

# Absolute filesystem path to the directory that will hold user-uploaded files.
# Example: "/home/media/media.lawrence.com/media/"
MEDIA_ROOT = '/srv/www/cb/media'

# URL that handles the media served from MEDIA_ROOT. Make sure to use a
# trailing slash.
# Examples: "http://media.lawrence.com/media/", "http://example.com/media/"
MEDIA_URL = '/media/'

# Absolute path to the directory static files should be collected to.
# Don't put anything in this directory yourself; store your static files
# in apps' "static/" subdirectories and in STATICFILES_DIRS.
# Example: "/home/media/media.lawrence.com/static/"
STATIC_ROOT = '/srv/www/cb/static'

# URL prefix for static files.
# Example: "http://media.lawrence.com/static/"
STATIC_URL = '/static/'

# Additional locations of static files
STATICFILES_DIRS = (
    # Put strings here, like "/home/html/static" or "C:/www/django/static".
    # Always use forward slashes, even on Windows.
    # Don't forget to use absolute paths, not relative paths.
)

# List of finder classes that know how to find static files in
# various locations.
STATICFILES_FINDERS = (
    'django.contrib.staticfiles.finders.FileSystemFinder',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles.finders.AppDirectoriesFinder',
#    'django.contrib.staticfiles.finders.DefaultStorageFinder',
)

# Make this unique, and don't share it with anybody.
SECRET_KEY = '8lu*6g0lg)9z!ba+a$ehk)xt)x%rxgb$i1&022shmi1jcgihb*'

# List of callables that know how to import templates from various sources.
TEMPLATE_LOADERS = (
    'django.template.loaders.filesystem.Loader',
    'django.template.loaders.app_directories.Loader',
#     'django.template.loaders.eggs.Loader',
)

TEMPLATE_CONTEXT_PROCESSORS = (
    'django.contrib.auth.context_processors.auth',
    'django.core.context_processors.request',
    'django.core.context_processors.debug',
    'django.core.context_processors.i18n',
    'django.core.context_processors.media',
    'django.core.context_processors.static',
    'django.core.context_processors.tz',
    'django.contrib.messages.context_processors.messages',
    'web.context.inbox',
    'web.context.base',
    'web.context.main_search',
    'web.context.enums',
)

MIDDLEWARE_CLASSES = (
    'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',
    'django.middleware.csrf.CsrfViewMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.auth.middleware.AuthenticationMiddleware',
    'django.contrib.messages.middleware.MessageMiddleware',
    'watson.middleware.SearchContextMiddleware',
    'debug_toolbar.middleware.DebugToolbarMiddleware',
    'middleware.UserMemberMiddleware',
    'middleware.ProfilerMiddleware',
    'middleware.VaryOnAcceptMiddleware',
    # Uncomment the next line for simple clickjacking protection:
    # 'django.middleware.clickjacking.XFrameOptionsMiddleware',
)

ROOT_URLCONF = 'cb.urls'

# Python dotted path to the WSGI application used by Django's runserver.
WSGI_APPLICATION = 'cb.wsgi.application'

TEMPLATE_DIRS = (
    # Put strings here, like "/home/html/django_templates" or "C:/www/django/templates".
    # Always use forward slashes, even on Windows.
    # Don't forget to use absolute paths, not relative paths.
    '/srv/www/cb/web/templates',
    '/srv/www/cb/templates',
)

INSTALLED_APPS = (
    'django.contrib.auth',
    'django.contrib.contenttypes',
    'django.contrib.sessions',
    'django.contrib.sites',
    'django.contrib.messages',
    'django.contrib.staticfiles',
    'south',
    'grappelli', # must be before admin
    'django.contrib.admin',
    'django.contrib.admindocs',
    'endless_pagination',
    'debug_toolbar',
    'djangoratings',
    'watson',
    'web',
)

AUTH_USER_MODEL = 'web.User'

# A sample logging configuration. The only tangible logging
# performed by this configuration is to send an email to
# the site admins on every HTTP 500 error when DEBUG=False.
# See http://docs.djangoproject.com/en/dev/topics/logging for
# more details on how to customize your logging configuration.
LOGGING = {
    'version': 1,
    'disable_existing_loggers': False,
    'filters': {
        'require_debug_false': {
            '()': 'django.utils.log.RequireDebugFalse'
        }
    },
    'formatters': {
        'standard': {
            'format' : "[%(asctime)s] %(levelname)s [%(name)s:%(lineno)s] %(message)s",
            'datefmt' : "%d/%b/%Y %H:%M:%S"
        },
    },
    'handlers': {
        'mail_admins': {
            'level': 'ERROR',
            'filters': ['require_debug_false'],
            'class': 'django.utils.log.AdminEmailHandler'
        },
        'null': {
            'level':'DEBUG',
            'class':'django.utils.log.NullHandler',
        },
        'logfile': {
            'level':'DEBUG',
            'class':'logging.handlers.RotatingFileHandler',
            'filename': "/srv/www/cb/logs/application.log",
            'maxBytes': 50000,
            'backupCount': 2,
            'formatter': 'standard',
        },
        'console':{
            'level':'INFO',
            'class':'logging.StreamHandler',
            'formatter': 'standard'
        },
    },
    'loggers': {
        'django.request': {
            'handlers': ['mail_admins'],
            'level': 'ERROR',
            'propagate': True,
        },
        'django': {
            'handlers':['console'],
            'propagate': True,
            'level':'WARN',
        },
        'django.db.backends': {
            'handlers': ['console'],
            'level': 'DEBUG',
            'propagate': False,
        },
        'web': {
            'handlers': ['console', 'logfile'],
            'level': 'DEBUG',
        },
    },
}

LOGIN_URL = 'login'
LOGOUT_URL = 'logout'

#ENDLESS_PAGINATION_LOADING = """
#    <img src="/static/web/img/preloader.gif" alt="loading" style="margin:auto"/>
#"""
ENDLESS_PAGINATION_LOADING = """
    <div class="spinner small" style="margin:auto">
        <div class="block_1 spinner_block small"></div>
        <div class="block_2 spinner_block small"></div>
        <div class="block_3 spinner_block small"></div>
    </div>
"""

DEBUG_TOOLBAR_CONFIG = {
    'INTERCEPT_REDIRECTS': False,
}

import django.template.loader
django.template.loader.add_to_builtins('web.templatetags.cb_tags')
django.template.loader.add_to_builtins('web.templatetags.tag_library')

WATSON_POSTGRESQL_SEARCH_CONFIG = 'public.english_nostop'

One of the setting files:

(cb)clime@den /srv/www/cb/cb/settings $ cat development.py 
from base import *

DEBUG = True
TEMPLATE_DEBUG = True

ALLOWED_HOSTS = ['127.0.0.1', '31.31.78.149']

DATABASES = {
    'default': {
        'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
        'NAME': 'cwu',
        'USER': 'clime',
        'PASSWORD': '',
        'HOST': '',
        'PORT': '',
    }
}

MEDIA_ROOT = '/srv/www/cb/media/'

STATIC_ROOT = '/srv/www/cb/static/'

TEMPLATE_DIRS = (
    '/srv/www/cb/web/templates',
    '/srv/www/cb/templates',
)

Code in manage.py:

(cb)clime@den /srv/www/cb $ cat manage.py 
#!/usr/bin/env python
import os
import sys

if __name__ == "__main__":
    os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "cb.settings.development")

    from django.core.management import execute_from_command_line

    execute_from_command_line(sys.argv)

If I add from base import * into /srv/www/cb/cb/settings/__init__.py (which is otherwise empty), it magically starts to work but I don't understand why. Anyone could explain to me what's going on here? It must be some python module magic.

EDIT: Everything also starts to work if I remove this line from base.py

django.template.loader.add_to_builtins('web.templatetags.cb_tags')

If I remove this line from web.templatetags.cb_tags, it also starts to work:

from endless_pagination.templatetags import endless

I guess it is because, in the end, it leads to

from django.conf import settings
PER_PAGE = getattr(settings, 'ENDLESS_PAGINATION_PER_PAGE', 10)

So it creates some weird circular stuff and game over.

My Mac OS didn't like that it didn't find the env variable set in the settings file:

# SECURITY WARNING: keep the secret key used in production secret!
SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get('MY_SERVER_ENV_VAR_NAME')

but after adding the env var to my local Mac OS dev environment, the error disappeared:

export MY_SERVER_ENV_VAR_NAME ='fake dev security key that is longer than 50 characters.'

In my case, I also needed to add the --settings param:

python3 manage.py check --deploy --settings myappname.settings.production

where production.py is a file containing production specific settings inside a settings folder.

I solved this problem by removing the spaces around equal signs (=) in my .env file.

In the init.py of the settings directory write the correct import, like:

from Project.settings.base import *

No need to change wsgi.py or manage.py

For anyone using Wing IDE: set the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE in your project properties to DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE=${DJANGO_SITENAME}.config.settings.development

You will find the settings under: Project --> Project Properties and set the value in the field Environment

In my case, after a long search I found that PyCharm in your Django settings (Settings > Languages & Frameworks > Django) had the configuration file field undefined. You should make this field point to your project's settings file. Then, you must open the Run / Debug settings and remove the environment variable DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE = existing path.

This happens because the Django plugin in PyCharm forces the configuration of the framework. So there is no point in configuring any os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'myapp.settings')

I solved the above problem by commenting the line in my settings.py

SECRET_KEY=os.environ.get('SECRET_KEY')

SECRET_KEY declared in my ~/.bashrc file(for linux Ubuntu users)

For development purpose on my localmachine I did not use evironmnet variable

SECRET_KEY = '(i9b4aes#h1)m3h_8jh^duxrdh$4pu8-q5vkba2yf$ptd1lev_'

above line didn't give the error

The reason why there are so many different answers is because the exception probably doesn't have anything to do with the SECRET_KEY. It is probably an earlier exception that is being swallowed. Turn on debugging using DEBUG=True to see the real exception.

Remove .pyc files

Ubuntu terminal command for deleting .pyc : find . -name "*.pyc" -exec rm -rf {} \;

I have got same error when I did python manage.py runserver. It was because .pyc file. I deleted .pyc file from project directory then it was working.

For anyone using PyCharm: the green "Run selected configuration" button would produce this error, yet running the following works:

py manage.py runserver 127.0.0.1:8000 --settings=app_name.settings.development

To fix this you need to edit the configuration's environment variables. To do this click the "Select run/debug configuration" drop-down menu to the left of the green run button and then click on "edit configuration". Under the "environment" tab change the environment variable DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE to app_name.settings.development.

Import base.py in __init__.py alone. make sure you won't repeat the same configuration again!.

set environment variable SET DJANGO_DEVELOPMENT =dev

settings/
  __init__.py
  base.py
  local.py
  production.py

In __init__.py

from .base import *
if os.environ.get('DJANGO_DEVELOPMENT')=='prod':
   from .production import *
else:
   from .local import *

In base.py configured the global configurations. except for Database. like

SECRET_KEY, ALLOWED_HOSTS,INSTALLED_APPS,MIDDLEWARE .. etc....

In local.py

DATABASES = {
'default': {
    'ENGINE': 'django.db.backends.postgresql_psycopg2',
    'NAME': 'database',
    'USER': 'postgres',
    'PASSWORD': 'password',
    'HOST': 'localhost',
    'PORT': '5432',
}
}

In my case, while setting up a Github action I just forgot to add the env variables to the yml file:

jobs:
  build:
    env:
     VAR1: 1
     VAR2: 5

try import django then run django.setup() after the secret_key definition. like so:

SECRET_KEY = 'it5bs))q6toz-1gwf(+j+f9@rd8%_-0nx)p-2!egr*y1o51=45XXCV'
django.setup()

Let me share m interesting solution!

I put the SECRET_KEY = "***&^%$#" in settings packages init.py file and the error disappeared! it's actually a loading problem!

Hope this quick workaround is useful for some of you!

I ran into the same problem after restructuring the settings as per the instructions from Daniel Greenfield's book Two scoops of Django.

I resolved the issue by setting

os.environ.setdefault("DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE", "project_name.settings.local")

in manage.py and wsgi.py.

Update:

In the above solution, local is the file name (settings/local.py) inside my settings folder, which holds the settings for my local environment.

Another way to resolve this issue is to keep all your common settings inside settings/base.py and then create 3 separate settings files for your production, staging and dev environments.

Your settings folder will look like:

settings/
    __init__.py
    base.py
    local.py
    prod.py
    stage.py

and keep the following code in your settings/__init__.py

from .base import *

env_name = os.getenv('ENV_NAME', 'local')

if env_name == 'prod':
    from .prod import *
elif env_name == 'stage':
    from .stage import *
else:
    from .local import *

I solved this problem occurring on OS X with Django both 1.5 and 1.6 by deactivating all active sessions to virtualenv and starting it again.

I had the same error with python manage.py runserver.

For me, it turned out that it was because of a stale compiled binary (.pyc) file. After deleting all such files in my project, server started running again. :)

So if you get this error, out of nowhere, i.e without making any change seemingly-related to django-settings, this could be a good first measure.

It starts working because on the base.py you have all information needed in a basic settings file. You need the line:

SECRET_KEY = '8lu*6g0lg)9z!ba+a$ehk)xt)x%rxgb$i1&022shmi1jcgihb*'

So it works and when you do from base import *, it imports SECRET_KEY into your development.py.

You should always import basic settings before doing any custom settings.

EDIT: Also, when django imports development from your package, it initializes all variables inside base since you defined from base import * inside __init__.py

I solved this problem on 1.8.4 by fixing the TEMPLATES settings which had a typo (removing TEMPLATES['debug'] solved it)

Go over the settings that you have changed recently, make sure all keys are by-the-book.

To throw another potential solution into the mix, I had a settings folder as well as a settings.py in my project dir. (I was switching back from environment-based settings files to one file. I have since reconsidered.)

Python was getting confused about whether I wanted to import project/settings.py or project/settings/__init__.py. I removed the settings dir and everything now works fine.

In my case, it was because I was trying to setup django-environ and I missed an important step:

Note: In the instructions below .env.example and .env should be saved in the same folder as settings.py

I incorrectly assumed that .env belonged in the root of my project. Moving it to the same folder as settings.py fixed the problem.

This error message in the Python console was the clue that set me on the right path:

Warning: /Users/allen/PycharmProjects/myapp/myapp/.env doesn't exist - if you're not configuring your environment separately, create one.

I came here looking for answer as I was facing the same issues, none of the answers here worked for me. Then after searching in other websites i stumbled upon this simple fix. It worked for me

wsgi.py

os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'yourProject.settings')

to

os.environ.setdefault('DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE', 'yourProject.settings.dev')

I had the same problem with Celery. My setting.py before:

SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get('DJANGO_SECRET_KEY')

after:

SECRET_KEY = os.environ.get('DJANGO_SECRET_KEY', <YOUR developing key>)

If the environment variables are not defined then: SECRET_KEY = YOUR developing key

I just wanted to add that I got this error when my database name was spelled wrong in my settings.py file so the DB couldn't be created.

The issue for me was calling get_text_noop in the LANGUAGES iterable.

Changing

LANGUAGES = (
    ('en-gb', get_text_noop('British English')),
    ('fr', get_text_noop('French')),
)

to

from django.utils.translation import gettext_lazy as _

LANGUAGES = (
    ('en-gb', _('British English')),
    ('fr', _('French')),
)

in the base settings file resolved the ImproperlyConfigured: The SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty exception.

In my case the problem was - I had my app_folder and settings.py in it. Then I decided to make Settings folder inside app_folder - and that made a collision with settings.py. Just renamed that Settings folder - and everything worked.

I think that it is the Environment error,you should try setting : DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE='correctly_settings'

I hadn't specified the settings file:

python manage.py runserver --settings=my_project.settings.develop