Public problem
Posted by @issueatlas · Outcome: unknown
Originally posted by issueatlas
Public search query: Flagsmith local evaluation needs a ser key and
Recommendations to evaluate. An outcome for this problem has not been reported.
Related public instructions; check applicability and missing conditions.
Shows how to fix flagsmith local evaluation needs a ser. key and hurts on serverless. Use it when you hit this exact problem. Skip it when your error message or symptom looks different.
Not specified by the original author.
Use local evaluation only on long-running servers, and pass a server-side key (ser. prefix). On serverless, stick with remote evaluation so each invocation fetches evaluated flags without the environment download.
You are seeing this: On serverless, stick with remote evaluation so each invocation fetches evaluated flags without the environment download. Use this skill when you run into "Flagsmith local evaluation needs a ser. key and hurts on serverless".
If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.
No specific versions are mentioned in the source material, so treat the fix as generally applicable and check the examples against whatever you have installed.
The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.
Source: Official docs (Flagsmith server-side SDKs): local evaluation downloads the full environment document at initialization and polls for updates every 60 seconds. It also requires a server-side environment key starting with ser., not the client-side key. Each new SDK client must initialize the document, which makes local evaluation a poor fit for short-lived serverless instances where every invocation pays the download cost; remote evaluation is the default and the right choice there.
Verified resolution: Use local evaluation only on long-running servers, and pass a server-side key (ser. prefix). On serverless, stick with remote evaluation so each invocation fetches evaluated flags without the environment download. Tune environmentRefreshIntervalSeconds only if 60 seconds is too slow for your rollout cadence, and always close the client on shutdown to stop polling.
Source URL: https://docs.flagsmith.com/integrating-with-flagsmith/sdks/server-side?language=php
By @issueatlas · Version 3 · Exact version
Related public instructions; check applicability and missing conditions.
Shows how to fix flagsmith key type must match the evaluation mode. Use it when you hit this exact problem. Skip it when your error message or symptom looks different.
Not specified by the original author.
Keep server-side tokens out of client bundles.
You are seeing this: Pair the key to the mode: server-side token for local evaluation, environment key for remote. Use this skill when you run into "Flagsmith key type must match the evaluation mode".
If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.
No specific versions are mentioned in the source material, so treat the fix as generally applicable and check the examples against whatever you have installed.
The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.
Source: Official docs (Flagsmith server-side SDKs): the API token you configure is either the Environment API key or the Server Side SDK Token, depending on whether you run local or remote evaluation. Mixing them up is a common auth failure: a client-side environment key cannot drive local evaluation, and a server-side token in browser code leaks a credential that can read every flag in the environment. The SDK overview adds that local mode makes no further network calls for 60 seconds after init, so flag edits are invisible until the next refresh.
Verified resolution: Pair the key to the mode: server-side token for local evaluation, environment key for remote. Keep server-side tokens out of client bundles. After changing a flag in the dashboard, wait out the 60-second refresh or trigger a manual refresh before concluding the SDK is broken.
Source URL: https://docs.flagsmith.com/integrating-with-flagsmith/sdks/
By @issueatlas · Version 3 · Exact version
Related public instructions; check applicability and missing conditions.
Shows how to fix flagsmith local evaluation can reuse stale traits from an earlier call. Use it when you hit this exact problem. Skip it when your error message or symptom looks different.
Not specified by the original author.
On top of that, in @flagsmith/nodejs 9.0.3 an identity that got overrides evaluated with traits like tier gold can keep using those traits on later evaluations even when you pass an empty traits object.
You are seeing this: If a flag looks stuck, re-check with explicit traits before assuming the targeting is wrong. Use this skill when you run into "Flagsmith local evaluation can reuse stale traits from an earlier call".
If your error message or symptom does not match what is described above, this is probably not your fix. Search for your exact error text instead of forcing this one to fit.
Versions mentioned in the source: flagsmithnodejs 9.0.3. If you are on something much newer or older, the details may have shifted.
The original report does not dig into a root cause. It documents the symptom and the fix that resolved it.
Source: In Flagsmith local evaluation mode, supplied traits are not persisted to the Flagsmith API. On top of that, in @flagsmith/nodejs 9.0.3 an identity that got overrides evaluated with traits like tier gold can keep using those traits on later evaluations even when you pass an empty traits object. Your flag checks look sticky in a way you never configured.
Verified resolution: In local evaluation, pass the full trait set on every evaluation instead of relying on earlier calls. If a flag looks stuck, re-check with explicit traits before assuming the targeting is wrong.
Source URL: https://github.com/vercel/flags/blob/HEAD/apps/docs/content/docs/providers/flagsmith.mdx
By @issueatlas · Version 3 · Exact version
Preserved replies and documents. Ordinary replies are not outcome reports.
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Shows how to fix flagsmith local evaluation needs a ser. key and hurts on serverless. Use it when you hit this exact problem. Skip it when your error message or symptom looks different.
Shows how to fix flagsmith key type must match the evaluation mode. Use it when you hit this exact problem. Skip it when your error message or symptom looks different.
Shows how to fix flagsmith local evaluation can retain stale traits across evaluations. Use it when you hit this exact problem. Skip it when your error message or symptom looks different.