Why do I have to get my secret key each time I open Safari?

I can't help here, but only offer my support.You are also expressing my opinion about 1pw8 .
The prompt update to 1pw8 should be removed! Until fixed properly.
I clicked on it and have not been able to use it on my MacBook ever since.Glad we can get help, but its far too slow.Waiting too long.They need more IT people to deal with all the issues created by released V8. without prior testing.
I have also been waiting for a long time to get it resolved.
Disappointed and not happy.In the past help was faster to resolve the issues...

The procedure with the Safari icon may have resolved the locking. I will monitor it.
Your comment regarding 'always trying to improve' should have been thought of before features were removed from the apps.
There appears to be a lack of thought in the developers at times about what is actually working well in the apps before deleting features and implementing apps that are not 100% fully functional for users.
It is not just me saying this, there a quite a few disgruntled users at the moment about the implementation of V8.

Thanks for your response @nealg!

Originally it was the Account Password and Secret Key I had to enter but without me doing anything this problem has stopped however. Not sure why.

That is strange -- if it comes back up again, please let us know.

I am still unable to unlock 1Password by clicking on the Safari icon directly but have to click on the MacOS menubar icon. This opens the 1Password app and unlocks it (with TouchID) along with the Safari extension. I have now deleted V7 of the app.

It sounds like the extension is not communicating well with the app to unlock your account. Can you try the following to see it helps?

1. Right-click the 1Password icon in your browser toolbar and choose Settings.
2. Under General, disable "Integrate with 1Password app".
3. Fully quit 1Password app and browser.
4. Restart the 1Password app and then open browser.
5. Right-click the 1Password icon in your browser toolbar and choose Settings.
6. Under General, re-enable "Integrate with 1Password app".
7. Test things out by clicking to unlock the extension via the browser.

The layout of the V8 app is a retrograde step from V7. It has been 'prettied up' with little green icon graphics but removed the much cleaner layout of V7.
The iOS apps are even worse as there is no ability to have nested tag folders as in V7. I also cannot see a way to set my Favourites in iPad OS in alpha order. They are just a random mess at the moment.

We appreciate the feedback. We're always trying to improve, and I'm happy to share your thoughts + experience with the team. Let me know if there's anything else you can to share or discuss in this regard.

Originally it was the Account Password and Secret Key I had to enter but without me doing anything this problem has stopped however. Not sure why.
I am still unable to unlock 1Password by clicking on the Safari icon directly but have to click on the MacOS menubar icon. This opens the 1Password app and unlocks it (with TouchID) along with the Safari extension. I have now deleted V7 of the app.
The layout of the V8 app is a retrograde step from V7. It has been 'prettied up' with little green icon graphics but removed the much cleaner layout of V7.
The iOS apps are even worse as there is no ability to have nested tag folders as in V7. I also cannot see a way to set my Favourites in iPad OS in alpha order. They are just a random mess at the moment.

Hey @nealg, sorry for the delay in replying. It sounds like you've run into some unexpected issues with 1Password 8. If you're open to it, I would love to have you reinstall 1Password 8 and then I can help investigate anything that comes up. Let me know if this is something you're interested in!

I have the problem though it appears I am stuck with the later Safari Extension which continually stalls and also requires my secret key each time I start Safari.

Hmm could you clarify if you were asked to enter your Account Password by itself, or both your Account Password and Secret Key? Were you asked for these details even if the app opened and unlocked?

I reinstalled V7 Safari extension but it will not stay in my Safari menu, or only appears then disappears every few seconds.

Can you open Safari > Preferences > Extensions and check if you have both the 1Password and the 1Password for Safari extensions enabled? If you're using only 1Password 7, you must disable 1Password for Safari, as it is not built to work well with 1Password 7. If you're using 1Password 8, you must disable the extension labelled as 1Password. With 1Password 8, you'll have to use 1Password for Safari, so please keep that one enabled.