> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getflowpilot.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API keys

> Create and manage the SDK API keys your app uses to authenticate with the FlowPilot backend.

An **SDK API key** authenticates a FlowPilot SDK (iOS or Expo) to the FlowPilot backend. You create a key in the dashboard, copy it once, and pass it to the SDK at launch. The SDK sends it on every request as `Authorization: Bearer <key>`.

<Warning>
  An SDK API key is **not** the same as your dashboard login. The token from your Clerk dashboard session will not authenticate the SDK. Create a dedicated SDK key here.
</Warning>

## Create a key

API keys live under **Settings -> API Keys**.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the API Keys tab">
    In **Settings**, select **API Keys**. Existing keys appear in a table; click **Create Key** to add one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name the key and pick an environment">
    In the **Create API Key** dialog, fill in:

    * **Key Name**: a descriptive label, for example `Production API Key`.
    * **Environment**: **Production** or **Staging**. Production keys should only be used in production apps.

    Click **Create Key**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the key now">
    The key is revealed once, under "API Key Created" with the warning "Copy your API key now. You won't be able to see it again." Click the copy button and store it somewhere safe, such as a password manager or an environment variable. Click **Done** when you are finished.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>TODO: screenshot of the "API Key Created" dialog with the reveal-once key and copy button.</Note>

After creation, the key appears in the table with its name, a masked prefix (for example `fp_live_1a2b3c4d...`), its environment, when it was last used, and when it was created.

## Key format

The first part of every key tells you its environment:

* **Production** keys start with `fp_live_`.
* **Staging** keys start with `fp_test_`.

The full key follows the prefix with a random suffix. Only the prefix is ever shown again in the dashboard; the rest is stored hashed and cannot be recovered.

## Use the key in the SDK

Pass the key to `FlowPilotConfiguration` when you configure the SDK at launch. Do not hardcode a real key in source you commit; load it from your build configuration or a secret store.

```swift theme={null}
import FlowPilotSDK

FlowPilot.configure(
    FlowPilotConfiguration(
        apiKey: "fp_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
        appId: "your-app-id"
    )
)
```

The SDK adds the key to each request as `Authorization: Bearer <key>`. For the full request contract, see [SDK REST API](/reference/sdk-rest-api). For where the key fits in SDK setup, see [Configuration](/ios-sdk/configuration).

## Revoke a key

To revoke a key, click the trash action on its row. Confirm in the **Revoke API Key** dialog. Any app using that key immediately loses access, and the action cannot be undone. If a key is lost or leaked, revoke it and create a new one.

<Note>
  Keys are **workspace-scoped** and of type `sdk`. A single key works for every app in the workspace; the app is selected by the `appId` you pass to the SDK, not by the key.
</Note>

## Common mistakes

* **Committing a key to source control.** Treat keys as secrets. Load them from environment variables or your secret manager, not a checked-in file.
* **Using a dashboard token instead of an SDK key.** Your Clerk dashboard session does not authenticate the SDK. Only an `fp_live_` or `fp_test_` key works.
* **Using the wrong environment key for a build.** A staging (`fp_test_`) key in a production build, or the reverse, will not behave as expected. Match the key's environment to the build.
* **Using a key from a different workspace than the app.** The key and the app's `appId` must belong to the same workspace, or the resolve fails.

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom                       | Likely cause                                  | Fix                                                      |
| ----------------------------- | --------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| Requests fail to authenticate | Wrong key type, or a dashboard token was used | Create an SDK key here and confirm it starts with `fp_`. |
| Worked before, now rejected   | Key was revoked                               | Create a new key and update your build.                  |
| Lost the key                  | Keys are shown only once                      | Revoke the old key and create a replacement.             |

## Related pages

* [Workspaces and apps](/dashboard/workspaces-and-apps)
* [Configuration](/ios-sdk/configuration)
* [SDK REST API](/reference/sdk-rest-api)