Top 10 Production Mistakes

The mistakes that break SaaS and AI apps in production—exposed keys, missing throttles, surprise bills, blind ops. Each item links to an APRF practice guide; close the same themes as Core Profile blockers before you ship.

1. 1
   API Key Exposed in Frontend: What to Do Right Now

   You just realized your API key is in client-side JavaScript. Here's how to contain the damage, rotate credentials, and fix the architecture so it never happens again.

2. 2
   Why API Keys Should Not Be in Frontend

   Putting API keys in JavaScript or mobile apps is one of the most common—and costly—security mistakes. Here's why and what to do instead.

3. 3
   Public API Without Rate Limiting: The Risks

   A public API with no rate limits is an open invitation for abuse. Here's what can go wrong and how to protect your endpoints.

4. 4
   AWS Bill Suddenly High? What to Check First

   An unexpected AWS bill can ruin your month. Here's a practical checklist to find the cause—and how to prevent it from happening again.

5. 5
   Why Is My AI API Bill So High?

   Your OpenAI, Anthropic, or Gemini bill spiked. Here are the most common causes—exposed keys, abuse, inefficient prompts—and how to fix them.

6. 6
   No Logging in Production: The Problems

   Production without logs is flying blind. Here's what can go wrong and how to fix it.

7. 7
   Backup Restore Testing: Best Practices

   Backups are useless if they don't restore. Here's how often to test, what to verify, and how to document recovery so you're ready when it matters.

8. 8
   IAM Least Privilege Example: AWS Simple

   IAM least privilege means granting only the permissions each role needs. Here's a simple example and how to apply it.

9. 9
   Production Readiness Checklist for SaaS

   Going from MVP to production? Use this checklist to verify security, backups, monitoring, and cost controls before real users arrive.

10. 10
    AWS Billing Alerts Not Working? How to Fix

    You set up AWS Budgets but alerts never arrived. Here's how to fix the most common issues and get alerts working.