---
title: "API Keys"
description: "Create, rotate, and revoke PgBeam API keys for programmatic access."
canonical: "https://pgbeam.com/docs/api-keys"
last-updated: "2026-09-14T19:37:21.000Z"
---

# API Keys

> Create, rotate, and revoke PgBeam API keys for programmatic access.

URL: https://pgbeam.com/docs/api-keys

API keys authenticate programmatic access to the PgBeam REST API and CLI.

## Key types

PgBeam supports two types of API keys:

Type

Prefix

Scope

Manage in

**Personal keys**

`pbu_`

All your organizations

**Settings > Account > API Keys**

**Organization keys**

`pbo_`

Single organization

**Settings > Organization > API Keys**

Use **organization keys** for CI/CD and shared automation. Use **personal
keys** for your own tools and scripts.

## Create an API key

## Navigate to API Keys

From the dashboard, go to **Settings** and select the relevant **API Keys**
page (Account or Organization level).

## Create the key

Click **Create Key** and configure:

**Name**: A label to identify the key (e.g., "CI/CD", "monitoring",
"staging deploy")

**Expiry**: Optional. Choose 30 days, 90 days, 365 days, or no expiry.

## Copy the key

The full key is shown **only once** after creation. Copy it immediately and
store it securely. You cannot retrieve the full key after closing the dialog.

## Use an API key

Pass the key in the `Authorization` header as a bearer token:

## Rotate a key

## Create a new key

Generate a new key with the same permissions as the one you want to rotate.

## Update your application

Update your application, CI/CD pipeline, or scripts to use the new key.

## Verify the new key

Confirm the new key works correctly in all environments.

## Revoke the old key

Delete the old key from **Settings > API Keys**. Revoked keys stop working
immediately.

## Security best practices

**Store keys in environment variables** or a secret manager. Never commit them to source control.

**Set an expiry** for keys used in CI/CD or automation.

**Use separate keys** for different environments (production, staging, development).

**Use organization keys** for shared automation so revoking a team member's access does not break CI/CD.

**Revoke keys immediately** if they may have been exposed.

**Audit key usage**: review active keys periodically and revoke any that are no longer needed.