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API keys are managed in the Screenshotly dashboard. There is no public API for creating or revoking keys: an API key cannot mint, list, or revoke other keys.

Key facts

Create a key

  1. Open Dashboard → API keys.
  2. In Workspace, choose the personal or team workspace the key should belong to.
  3. Enter a name that says where the key will live, such as production-api or github-actions. The name is optional; unnamed keys are called Default API Key.
  4. Click Generate New Key, copy the key, and store it in your secret manager. It is not shown again.
Each key in the list shows its status, creation date, expiry date, and the number of successful requests made with it.

Store keys safely

Load the key from the environment or a secret manager at runtime:
  • Use a separate key for each environment and system: local development, CI, staging, and production. Revoking one does not interrupt the others.
  • Keep keys out of source control, client-side bundles, mobile apps, logs, and error trackers.
  • Give team members access through a team workspace instead of sharing one personal key.

Rotate a key

Because dashboard keys expire after 30 days, plan rotation as a routine task:
  1. Generate a new key in the same workspace.
  2. Update the secret in every system that uses the old key, and redeploy.
  3. Confirm traffic is flowing with the new key: its request count in the dashboard increases.
  4. Revoke the old key.
Set a reminder before the expiry date shown in the dashboard. When a key expires, requests fail with 401 Invalid API key. Handle 401 in your client by alerting a person rather than retrying, because retries cannot succeed.

Revoke a key

Click the delete icon next to a key in Dashboard → API keys. Revocation takes effect immediately and cannot be undone; the next request with that key returns 401. A key can be revoked by the member who created it, or by an owner or admin of the key’s workspace.
If a key is exposed (committed to a repository, pasted into a ticket, or shipped in client code), revoke it first, then create a replacement. Do not wait for it to expire.

Troubleshooting

Next steps