Azure Key Vault Keys SDK for TypeScript

Manage cryptographic keys with Azure Key Vault.

Installation

Keys SDK

npm install @azure/keyvault-keys @azure/identity

Environment Variables

KEY_VAULT_URL=https://<vault-name>.vault.azure.net

Or

AZURE_KEYVAULT_NAME=<vault-name>

Authentication

import { DefaultAzureCredential } from "@azure/identity"; import { KeyClient, CryptographyClient } from "@azure/keyvault-keys";

const credential = new DefaultAzureCredential(); const vaultUrl = https://${process.env.AZURE_KEYVAULT_NAME}.vault.azure.net;

const keyClient = new KeyClient(vaultUrl, credential); const secretClient = new SecretClient(vaultUrl, credential);

Secrets Operations

Create/Set Secret

const secret = await secretClient.setSecret("MySecret", "secret-value");

// With attributes const secretWithAttrs = await secretClient.setSecret("MySecret", "value", { enabled: true, expiresOn: new Date("2025-12-31"), contentType: "application/json", tags: { environment: "production" } });

Get Secret

// Get latest version const secret = await secretClient.getSecret("MySecret"); console.log(secret.value);

// Get specific version const specificSecret = await secretClient.getSecret("MySecret", { version: secret.properties.version });

List Secrets

for await (const secretProperties of secretClient.listPropertiesOfSecrets()) { console.log(secretProperties.name); }

// List versions for await (const version of secretClient.listPropertiesOfSecretVersions("MySecret")) { console.log(version.version); }

Delete Secret

// Soft delete const deletePoller = await secretClient.beginDeleteSecret("MySecret"); await deletePoller.pollUntilDone();

// Purge (permanent) await secretClient.purgeDeletedSecret("MySecret");

// Recover const recoverPoller = await secretClient.beginRecoverDeletedSecret("MySecret"); await recoverPoller.pollUntilDone();

Keys Operations

Create Keys

// Generic key const key = await keyClient.createKey("MyKey", "RSA");

// RSA key with size const rsaKey = await keyClient.createRsaKey("MyRsaKey", { keySize: 2048 });

// Elliptic Curve key const ecKey = await keyClient.createEcKey("MyEcKey", { curve: "P-256" });

// With attributes const keyWithAttrs = await keyClient.createKey("MyKey", "RSA", { enabled: true, expiresOn: new Date("2025-12-31"), tags: { purpose: "encryption" }, keyOps: ["encrypt", "decrypt", "sign", "verify"] });

Get Key

const key = await keyClient.getKey("MyKey"); console.log(key.name, key.keyType);

List Keys

for await (const keyProperties of keyClient.listPropertiesOfKeys()) { console.log(keyProperties.name); }

Rotate Key

// Manual rotation const rotatedKey = await keyClient.rotateKey("MyKey");

// Set rotation policy await keyClient.updateKeyRotationPolicy("MyKey", { lifetimeActions: [{ action: "Rotate", timeBeforeExpiry: "P30D" }], expiresIn: "P90D" });

Delete Key

const deletePoller = await keyClient.beginDeleteKey("MyKey"); await deletePoller.pollUntilDone();

// Purge await keyClient.purgeDeletedKey("MyKey");

Cryptographic Operations

Create CryptographyClient

import { CryptographyClient } from "@azure/keyvault-keys";

// From key object const cryptoClient = new CryptographyClient(key, credential);

// From key ID const cryptoClient = new CryptographyClient(key.id!, credential);

Encrypt/Decrypt

// Encrypt const encryptResult = await cryptoClient.encrypt({ algorithm: "RSA-OAEP", plaintext: Buffer.from("My secret message") });

// Decrypt const decryptResult = await cryptoClient.decrypt({ algorithm: "RSA-OAEP", ciphertext: encryptResult.result });

console.log(decryptResult.result.toString());

Sign/Verify

import { createHash } from "node:crypto";

// Create digest const hash = createHash("sha256").update("My message").digest();

// Sign const signResult = await cryptoClient.sign("RS256", hash);

// Verify const verifyResult = await cryptoClient.verify("RS256", hash, signResult.result); console.log("Valid:", verifyResult.result);

Wrap/Unwrap Keys

// Wrap a key (encrypt it for storage) const wrapResult = await cryptoClient.wrapKey("RSA-OAEP", Buffer.from("key-material"));

// Unwrap const unwrapResult = await cryptoClient.unwrapKey("RSA-OAEP", wrapResult.result);

Backup and Restore

// Backup const keyBackup = await keyClient.backupKey("MyKey"); const secretBackup = await secretClient.backupSecret("MySecret");

// Restore (can restore to different vault) const restoredKey = await keyClient.restoreKeyBackup(keyBackup!); const restoredSecret = await secretClient.restoreSecretBackup(secretBackup!);

Key Types

import { KeyClient, KeyVaultKey, KeyProperties, DeletedKey, CryptographyClient, KnownEncryptionAlgorithms, KnownSignatureAlgorithms } from "@azure/keyvault-keys";

import { SecretClient, KeyVaultSecret, SecretProperties, DeletedSecret } from "@azure/keyvault-secrets";

Error Handling

try { const secret = await secretClient.getSecret("NonExistent"); } catch (error: any) { if (error.code === "SecretNotFound") { console.log("Secret does not exist"); } else { throw error; } }

Best Practices

• Use DefaultAzureCredential - Works across dev and production

• Enable soft-delete - Required for production vaults

• Set expiration dates - On both keys and secrets

• Use key rotation policies - Automate key rotation

• Limit key operations - Only grant needed operations (encrypt, sign, etc.)

• Browser not supported - These SDKs are Node.js only