diff --git a/typescript/.changeset/cyan-llamas-bow.md b/typescript/.changeset/cyan-llamas-bow.md
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..1b4da303a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/typescript/.changeset/cyan-llamas-bow.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"create-onchain-agent": patch
+---
+
+Improved error handling, particulately for missing .env vars in next template
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/cdp/prepare-agentkit.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/cdp/prepare-agentkit.ts
index 8291a89a4..27e6ec5d1 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/cdp/prepare-agentkit.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/cdp/prepare-agentkit.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ export async function prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider(): Promise<{
   agentkit: AgentKit;
   walletProvider: WalletProvider;
 }> {
+  if (!process.env.CDP_API_KEY_ID || !process.env.CDP_API_KEY_SECRET) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "I need both CDP_API_KEY_ID and CDP_API_KEY_SECRET in your .env file to connect to the Coinbase Developer Platform.",
+    );
+  }
+
   try {
     let walletDataStr: string | null = null;
 
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts
index 2653c6332..1295d0550 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts
@@ -58,6 +58,12 @@ export async function prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider(): Promise<{
   agentkit: AgentKit;
   walletProvider: WalletProvider;
 }> {
+  if (!process.env.PRIVY_APP_ID || !process.env.PRIVY_APP_SECRET) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "I need both PRIVY_APP_ID and PRIVY_APP_SECRET in your .env file to set up your wallet.",
+    );
+  }
+
   try {
     // Initialize WalletProvider: https://docs.cdp.coinbase.com/agentkit/docs/wallet-management
     const config: PrivyWalletConfig = {
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/smart/prepare-agentkit.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/smart/prepare-agentkit.ts
index d12ee2d90..affce09f8 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/smart/prepare-agentkit.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/evm/smart/prepare-agentkit.ts
@@ -63,30 +63,35 @@ export async function prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider(): Promise<{
   agentkit: AgentKit;
   walletProvider: WalletProvider;
 }> {
-  try {
-    let walletData: WalletData | null = null;
-    let privateKey: Hex | null = null;
+  if (!process.env.CDP_API_KEY_ID || !process.env.CDP_API_KEY_SECRET) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "I need both CDP_API_KEY_ID and CDP_API_KEY_SECRET in your .env file to connect to the Coinbase Developer Platform.",
+    );
+  }
+
+  let walletData: WalletData | null = null;
+  let privateKey: Hex | null = null;
 
-    // Read existing wallet data if available
-    if (fs.existsSync(WALLET_DATA_FILE)) {
-      try {
-        walletData = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(WALLET_DATA_FILE, "utf8")) as WalletData;
-        privateKey = walletData.privateKey;
-      } catch (error) {
-        console.error("Error reading wallet data:", error);
-        // Continue without wallet data
-      }
+  // Read existing wallet data if available
+  if (fs.existsSync(WALLET_DATA_FILE)) {
+    try {
+      walletData = JSON.parse(fs.readFileSync(WALLET_DATA_FILE, "utf8")) as WalletData;
+      privateKey = walletData.privateKey;
+    } catch (error) {
+      console.error("Error reading wallet data:", error);
     }
+  }
 
-    if (!privateKey) {
-      if (walletData?.smartWalletAddress) {
-        throw new Error(
-          `Smart wallet found but no private key provided. Either provide the private key, or delete ${WALLET_DATA_FILE} and try again.`,
-        );
-      }
-      privateKey = (process.env.PRIVATE_KEY || generatePrivateKey()) as Hex;
+  if (!privateKey) {
+    if (walletData?.smartWalletAddress) {
+      throw new Error(
+        `I found your smart wallet but can't access your private key. Please either provide the private key in your .env, or delete ${WALLET_DATA_FILE} to create a new wallet.`,
+      );
     }
+    privateKey = (process.env.PRIVATE_KEY || generatePrivateKey()) as Hex;
+  }
 
+  try {
     const signer = privateKeyToAccount(privateKey);
 
     // Initialize WalletProvider: https://docs.cdp.coinbase.com/agentkit/docs/wallet-management
@@ -113,7 +118,7 @@ export async function prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider(): Promise<{
     });
 
     // Save wallet data
-    const smartWalletAddress = await walletProvider.getAddress();
+    const smartWalletAddress = walletProvider.getAddress();
     fs.writeFileSync(
       WALLET_DATA_FILE,
       JSON.stringify({
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/svm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/svm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts
index d013f2ac2..c18205968 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/svm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/agentkit/svm/privy/prepare-agentkit.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,12 @@ export async function prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider(): Promise<{
   agentkit: AgentKit;
   walletProvider: WalletProvider;
 }> {
+  if (!process.env.PRIVY_APP_ID || !process.env.PRIVY_APP_SECRET) {
+    throw new Error(
+      "I need both PRIVY_APP_ID and PRIVY_APP_SECRET in your .env file to set up your wallet.",
+    );
+  }
+
   try {
     // Initialize WalletProvider: https://docs.cdp.coinbase.com/agentkit/docs/wallet-management
     const config: PrivyWalletConfig = {
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/create-agent.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/create-agent.ts
index 96c82f549..4807e065d 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/create-agent.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/create-agent.ts
@@ -40,9 +40,13 @@ export async function createAgent(): Promise<ReturnType<typeof createReactAgent>
     return agent;
   }
 
-  try {
-    const { agentkit, walletProvider } = await prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider();
+  if (!process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY) {
+    throw new Error("I need an OPENAI_API_KEY in your .env file to power my intelligence.");
+  }
 
+  const { agentkit, walletProvider } = await prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider();
+
+  try {
     // Initialize LLM: https://platform.openai.com/docs/models#gpt-4o
     const llm = new ChatOpenAI({ model: "gpt-4o-mini" });
 
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/route.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/route.ts
index 238f5b885..5607ffdef 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/route.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/langchain/route.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ export async function POST(
     return NextResponse.json({ response: agentResponse });
   } catch (error) {
     console.error("Error processing request:", error);
-    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Failed to process message" });
+    return NextResponse.json({
+      error:
+        error instanceof Error
+          ? error.message
+          : "I'm sorry, I encountered an issue processing your message. Please try again later.",
+    });
   }
 }
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/create-agent.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/create-agent.ts
index 7814813c4..381a3b32f 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/create-agent.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/create-agent.ts
@@ -44,12 +44,16 @@ export async function createAgent(): Promise<Agent> {
     return agent;
   }
 
+  if (!process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY) {
+    throw new Error("I need an OPENAI_API_KEY in your .env file to power my intelligence.");
+  }
+
+  const { agentkit, walletProvider } = await prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider();
+
   try {
     // Initialize LLM: https://platform.openai.com/docs/models#gpt-4o
     const model = openai("gpt-4o-mini");
 
-    const { agentkit, walletProvider } = await prepareAgentkitAndWalletProvider();
-
     // Initialize Agent
     const canUseFaucet = walletProvider.getNetwork().networkId == "base-sepolia";
     const faucetMessage = `If you ever need funds, you can request them from the faucet.`;
diff --git a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/route.ts b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/route.ts
index 3cd2872de..27a039fde 100644
--- a/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/route.ts
+++ b/typescript/create-onchain-agent/templates/next/app/api/agent/framework/vercel-ai-sdk/route.ts
@@ -46,6 +46,11 @@ export async function POST(
     return NextResponse.json({ response: text });
   } catch (error) {
     console.error("Error processing request:", error);
-    return NextResponse.json({ error: "Failed to process message" });
+    return NextResponse.json({
+      error:
+        error instanceof Error
+          ? error.message
+          : "I'm sorry, I encountered an issue processing your message. Please try again later.",
+    });
   }
 }