SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty

Question

I am getting Error when i run server in cmd

I am using Windows 7, Python Version 3.4.3 and Django Version 1.8.

> 
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "manage.py", line 10, in <module>
    execute_from_command_line(sys.argv)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\__init__.py", line 338, in execute_f
rom_command_line
    utility.execute()
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\__init__.py", line 330, in execute
    self.fetch_command(subcommand).run_from_argv(self.argv)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\__init__.py", line 190, in fetch_com
mand
    klass = load_command_class(app_name, subcommand)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\__init__.py", line 40, in load_comma
nd_class
    module = import_module('%s.management.commands.%s' % (app_name, name))
  File "C:\Python34\lib\importlib\__init__.py", line 109, in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 2254, in _gcd_import
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 2237, in _find_and_load
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 2226, in _find_and_load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1200, in _load_unlocked
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1129, in _exec
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 1471, in exec_module
  File "<frozen importlib._bootstrap>", line 321, in _call_with_frames_removed
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\core\management\commands\runserver.py", line 14, in
<module>
    from django.db.migrations.executor import MigrationExecutor
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\db\migrations\executor.py", line 6, in <module>
    from .loader import MigrationLoader
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\db\migrations\loader.py", line 10, in <module>
    from django.db.migrations.recorder import MigrationRecorder
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\db\migrations\recorder.py", line 9, in <module>
    class MigrationRecorder(object):
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\db\migrations\recorder.py", line 23, in MigrationRec
order
    class Migration(models.Model):
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\db\migrations\recorder.py", line 24, in Migration
    app = models.CharField(max_length=255)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\db\models\fields\__init__.py", line 1081, in __init_
_
    super(CharField, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\db\models\fields\__init__.py", line 161, in __init__

    self.db_tablespace = db_tablespace or settings.DEFAULT_INDEX_TABLESPACE
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\conf\__init__.py", line 48, in __getattr__
    self._setup(name)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\conf\__init__.py", line 44, in _setup
    self._wrapped = Settings(settings_module)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\conf\__init__.py", line 92, in __init__
    mod = importlib.import_module(self.SETTINGS_MODULE)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\importlib\__init__.py", line 109, in import_module
    return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level)
  File "C:\Users\abc\Desktop\myapp\myapp\settings.py", line 16, in <module>
    import django.contrib.auth
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\contrib\auth\__init__.py", line 7, in <module>
    from django.middleware.csrf import rotate_token
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\middleware\csrf.py", line 14, in <module>
    from django.utils.cache import patch_vary_headers
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\utils\cache.py", line 26, in <module>
    from django.core.cache import caches
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\core\cache\__init__.py", line 34, in <module>
    if DEFAULT_CACHE_ALIAS not in settings.CACHES:
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\conf\__init__.py", line 48, in __getattr__
    self._setup(name)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\conf\__init__.py", line 44, in _setup
    self._wrapped = Settings(settings_module)
  File "C:\Python34\lib\site-packages\django\conf\__init__.py", line 113, in __init__
    raise ImproperlyConfigured("The SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty.")
django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: The SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty.

Please post your `settings.py` file contents. Secret key seems to be missing — ham, Aug 18 '16 at 09:03
1) What is the exact command that you are trying to run? 2) What is the value of the DJANGO_SETTINGS_MODULE environment variable? 3) Is your secret key well defined in your settings.py file? — Régis B., Aug 18 '16 at 09:12
1) I am writting --> python manage.py runserver. 2) where i can find DJSNGO_SETTING_MODULE environment variable? 3) there is a secret key in settings.py file — Amandeep Dhiman, Aug 18 '16 at 09:15
`python manage.py runserver --settings project_name.settings` `project_name.settings` = path from you project to your settings file. — Usman Maqbool, Aug 18 '16 at 09:20
Possible duplicate of [Django: ImproperlyConfigured: The SECRET\_KEY setting must not be empty](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/19128540/django-improperlyconfigured-the-secret-key-setting-must-not-be-empty) — physicalattraction, Jul 07 '17 at 13:37

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Aug 18 '16 at 10:12

2

It was Django version incompatibility issue. When I installed 1.5 version and 1.9 version of django it is working but not with 1.10 and 1.8

answered Aug 18 '16 at 10:12

Amandeep Dhiman

582
3
8
21

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Aug 18 '16 at 09:24

If SECRET_KEY is in setttings.py file then you are running different settings file.

use below command:

python manage.py runserver --settings project_name.settings

project_name.settings is path to your settings file.

You can also check it using print statements in settings.py file

score -4 · Answer 3 · answered Aug 18 '16 at 09:03

-4

I think the error message is pretty much self-explaining: django.core.exceptions.ImproperlyConfigured: The SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty.

You need to set SECRET_KEY in your settings.py file.

answered Aug 18 '16 at 09:03

Smooth Fire

183
5

It's in settings.py file---> SECRET_KEY = '*1_(=mc+3q&=%4n$h1)v!zwrl-n+pr-s#xfpd##!l+ek4&x‌y2x' – Amandeep Dhiman Aug 18 '16 at 09:10
So the `SECRET_KEY` is already set? Maybe you use different settings.py file that you think. Could you add ipdb or print to you settings.py file to check if it is really loaded? – Smooth Fire Aug 18 '16 at 09:12

SECRET_KEY setting must not be empty

3 Answers3