SendGrid API Key evaluating to "undefined"?

I'm following the integration guide for Node.js with sendgrid. My environment variable folder looks like :

[removed api key]

And my 'index.js' looks like :

console.log(process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY)
const sgMail = require('@sendgrid/mail');
sgMail.setApiKey(process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY);
const msg = {
  to: 'evan.dickinson.flinn@gmail.com',
  from: 'improvedpts@improvedpts.com', // Use the email address or domain you verified above
  subject: 'Sending with Twilio SendGrid is Fun',
  text: 'and easy to do anywhere, even with Node.js',
  html: '<strong>and easy to do anywhere, even with Node.js</strong>',
};

sgMail
  .send(msg)
  .then(() => {}, error => {
    console.error(error);

    if (error.response) {
      console.error(error.response.body)
    }
  });

• This is all copy & pasted from the tutorial sent by sendgrid

I also have a package.json file, but besides that those are the only three files in my folder. The error message I keep getting is:

API key does not start with "SG.".

And when I checked with console.log, my API key was apparently undefined? Can someone explain this to me? I've been scouring the internet but I haven't figured it out.

I want the API to send a email. I've tried importing 'dotenv', but that did not work so I went back to what the tutorial said. None of the online solutions have worked.

You can set up your Nodejs project with "dotenv" library to create and access environment variables.

1. Install the lib using npm i dotenv
2. Create a file in the root project with the name .env
3. Put your variables on the file

SENDGRID_API_KEY='SG.XXXXX'

4. Now you can get this variable easily in your code

const { config } = require('dotenv');
config();

console.log(process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY)
const sgMail = require('@sendgrid/mail');
sgMail.setApiKey(process.env.SENDGRID_API_KEY);
const msg = {
  to: 'evan.dickinson.flinn@gmail.com',
  from: 'improvedpts@improvedpts.com', // Use the email address or domain you verified above
  subject: 'Sending with Twilio SendGrid is Fun',
  text: 'and easy to do anywhere, even with Node.js',
  html: '<strong>and easy to do anywhere, even with Node.js</strong>',
};

sgMail
  .send(msg)
  .then(() => {}, error => {
    console.error(error);

    if (error.response) {
      console.error(error.response.body)
    }
  });

I hope that it can help you :D.

Don't put API keys in questions.