Delete API keys

Delete API keys from user accounts or for cleanup purposes.

Use this for user-requested key revocation, account deletion workflows, or cleaning up unused keys. Keys are immediately invalidated. Two modes: soft delete (default, preserves audit records) and permanent delete.

Important: For temporary access control, use updateKey with enabled: false instead of deletion.

Required Permissions

Your credential must have one of the following permissions:

api.*.delete_key (to delete keys in any API)
api.<api_id>.delete_key (to delete keys in a specific API)
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/*/keys/*#delete_key (to delete keys in any keyspace)
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>/keys/*#delete_key (to delete keys in a specific keyspace)
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>/keys/<key_id>#delete_key (to delete a specific key)

1 min read

post/v2/keys.deleteKey

Request example

package main

import(
	"context"
	"os"
	unkey "github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2"
	"github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2/models/components"
	"log"
)

func main() {
    ctx := context.Background()

    s := unkey.New(
        unkey.WithSecurity(os.Getenv("UNKEY_ROOT_KEY")),
    )

    res, err := s.Keys.DeleteKey(ctx, components.V2KeysDeleteKeyRequestBody{
        KeyID: "key_2cGKbMxRyIzhCxo1Idjz8q",
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    if res.V2KeysDeleteKeyResponseBody != nil {
        // handle response
    }
}

Response

{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_123"
  },
  "data": {}
}

post/v2/keys.deleteKey

Authorization

Authorizationstringheaderrequired#

Unkey uses bearer tokens for authentication. Public integrations use root keys, while the dashboard proxy uses short-lived JWTs.
To authenticate, include the token in the Authorization header of each request:

Authorization: Bearer unkey_123

Root keys have specific permissions attached to them, controlling what operations they can perform. Legacy permissions use tuple strings like api.*.create_key; resource permissions use Unkey Resource Names plus actions, like unkey:v1:ws_123:keyspaces/*#create_key.
Security best practices:

Keep root keys secure and never expose them in client-side code
Use different root keys for different environments
Rotate keys periodically, especially after team member departures
Create keys with minimal necessary permissions following least privilege principle
Monitor key usage with audit logs.

Body

application/json

keyIdstringrequired#

Specifies which key to delete using the database identifier returned from createKey.
Do not confuse this with the actual API key string that users include in requests.
Deletion immediately invalidates the key, causing all future verification attempts to fail with code=NOT_FOUND.
Key deletion triggers cache invalidation across all regions but may take up to 30 seconds to fully propagate.

Length: 3–255Pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$

permanentboolean#

Controls deletion behavior between recoverable soft-deletion and irreversible permanent erasure.
Soft deletion (default) preserves key data for potential recovery through direct database operations.
Permanent deletion completely removes all traces including hash values and metadata with no recovery option.

Use permanent deletion only for regulatory compliance (GDPR), resolving hash collisions, or when reusing identical key strings.
Permanent deletion cannot be undone and may affect analytics data that references the deleted key.
Most applications should use soft deletion to maintain audit trails and prevent accidental data loss.

Default: false

Responses

application/json

Key deleted successfully. Verification fails immediately with up to 30-second edge propagation.

metaobjectrequired#

Metadata object included in every API response. This provides context about the request and is essential for debugging, audit trails, and support inquiries. The requestId is particularly important when troubleshooting issues with the Unkey support team.

Show child attributes

requestIdstringrequired#

A unique id for this request. Always include this ID when contacting support about a specific API request. This identifier allows Unkey's support team to trace the exact request through logs and diagnostic systems to provide faster assistance.

dataobjectrequired#

Empty response object by design. A successful response indicates this operation was successfully executed.

metaobjectrequired#

Show child attributes

requestIdstringrequired#

errorobjectrequired#

Base error structure following Problem Details for HTTP APIs (RFC 7807). This provides a standardized way to carry machine-readable details of errors in HTTP response content.

Show child attributes

detailstringrequired#

A human-readable explanation specific to this occurrence of the problem. This provides detailed information about what went wrong and potential remediation steps. The message is intended to be helpful for developers troubleshooting the issue.

statusintegerrequired#

HTTP status code that corresponds to this error. This will match the status code in the HTTP response. Common codes include 400 (Bad Request), 401 (Unauthorized), 403 (Forbidden), 404 (Not Found), 409 (Conflict), and 500 (Internal Server Error).

titlestringrequired#

A short, human-readable summary of the problem type. This remains constant from occurrence to occurrence of the same problem and should be used for programmatic handling.

typestringrequired#

A URI reference that identifies the problem type. This provides a stable identifier for the error that can be used for documentation lookups and programmatic error handling. When followed, this URI should provide human-readable documentation for the problem type.

errorsobject[]required#

List of individual validation errors that occurred in the request. Each error provides specific details about what failed validation, where the error occurred in the request, and suggestions for fixing it. This granular information helps developers quickly identify and resolve multiple issues in a single request without having to make repeated API calls.

Show child attributes

locationstringrequired#

JSON path indicating exactly where in the request the error occurred. This helps pinpoint the problematic field or parameter. Examples include:

'body.name' (field in request body)
'body.items[3].tags' (nested array element)
'path.apiId' (path parameter)
'query.limit' (query parameter)
Use this location to identify exactly which part of your request needs correction.

messagestringrequired#

Detailed error message explaining what validation rule was violated. This provides specific information about why the field or parameter was rejected, such as format errors, invalid values, or constraint violations.

fixstring#

A human-readable suggestion describing how to fix the error. This provides practical guidance on what changes would satisfy the validation requirements. Not all validation errors include fix suggestions, but when present, they offer specific remediation advice.

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