Almost all Unkey API endpoints require authentication using a root key. Root keys provide access to your Unkey resources based on their assigned permissions.

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Bearer Authentication

Authentication is performed using HTTP Bearer authentication in the Authorization header: 
Authorization: Bearer unkey_1234567890
Example request: 
curl -X POST "https://api.unkey.dev/v1/keys.createKey" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer unkey_1234567890" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{ "apiId": "api_1234" }'

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Security Best Practices

Never expose your root key in client-side code or include it in public repositories. For frontend applications, always use a backend server to proxy requests to the Unkey API.

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Root Key Management

Root keys can be created and managed through the Unkey dashboard. We recommend:
  1. Using Different Keys for Different Environments: Maintain separate root keys for development, staging, and production
  2. Rotating Keys Regularly: Create new keys periodically and phase out old ones
  3. Setting Clear Key Names: Name your keys according to their use case for better manageability

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Key Permissions System

Unkey implements a sophisticated RBAC (Role-Based Access Control) system for root keys. Permissions are defined as tuples of:
  • ResourceType: The category of resource (api, ratelimit, rbac, identity)
  • ResourceID: The specific resource instance
  • Action: The operation to perform on that resource

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Available Resource Types

Resource TypeDescription
apiAPI-related resources, such as endpoints and keys
ratelimitRate limiting resources and configuration
rbacPermissions and roles management
identityUser and identity management

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Permission Examples

Specific permission to manage a single API: 
api.api_1234.read_api
api.api_1234.update_api
Wildcard permission to manage all rate limit namespaces: 
ratelimit.*.create_namespace
ratelimit.*.read_namespace
When creating root keys, you can specify exactly what actions they’re allowed to perform.

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Authentication Errors

If your authentication fails, you’ll receive a 401 Unauthorized or 403 Forbidden response with an error message: 
{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_abc123xyz789"
  },
  "error": {
    "title": "Unauthorized",
    "detail": "The provided root key is invalid or has been revoked",
    "status": 401,
    "type": "https://unkey.com/docs/errors/unauthorized"
  }
}
If your key is valid but lacks sufficient permissions, you’ll receive a 403 Forbidden response: 
{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_abc123xyz789"
  },
  "error": {
    "title": "Forbidden",
    "detail": "Your key does not have the required 'api.api_1234.update_api' permission",
    "status": 403,
    "type": "https://unkey.com/docs/errors/forbidden"
  }
}
Common authentication issues include:
  • Missing the Authorization header
  • Invalid key format
  • Revoked or expired root key
  • Using a key with insufficient permissions