Get API key

Retrieve detailed key information for dashboard interfaces and administrative purposes.

Use this to build key management dashboards showing users their key details, status, permissions, and usage data. You can identify keys by keyId or the actual key string.

Important: Set decrypt: true only in secure contexts to retrieve plaintext key values from recoverable keys.

Required Permissions

Your credential must have one of the following permissions for basic key information:

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

Additional permission required for decrypt functionality:

api.*.decrypt_key or api.<api_id>.decrypt_key
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/*/keys/*#decrypt_key
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>/keys/*#decrypt_key
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>/keys/<key_id>#decrypt_key

1 min read

post/v2/keys.getKey

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.GetKey(ctx, components.V2KeysGetKeyRequestBody{
        KeyID: "key_1234abcd",
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    if res.V2KeysGetKeyResponseBody != nil {
        // handle response
    }
}

Response

{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_123"
  },
  "data": {
    "keyId": "key_1234567890abcdef",
    "start": "sk_test_abc123",
    "enabled": true,
    "name": "Production API Key",
    "meta": null,
    "createdAt": 1701425400000,
    "updatedAt": 1701425400000,
    "lastUsedAt": 1701425400000,
    "expires": 1735689600000,
    "permissions": [
      "documents.read",
      "documents.write"
    ],
    "roles": [
      "editor",
      "viewer"
    ],
    "credits": {
      "remaining": 1000,
      "refill": {
        "interval": "daily",
        "amount": 1000,
        "refillDay": 15
      }
    },
    "identity": {
      "id": "<string>",
      "externalId": "<string>",
      "meta": {},
      "ratelimits": [
        {
          "id": "rl_1234567890abcdef",
          "name": "api_requests",
          "limit": 1000,
          "duration": 3600000,
          "autoApply": true
        }
      ]
    },
    "plaintext": "sk_test_abc123def456",
    "ratelimits": [
      {
        "id": "rl_1234567890abcdef",
        "name": "api_requests",
        "limit": 1000,
        "duration": 3600000,
        "autoApply": true
      }
    ]
  }
}

post/v2/keys.getKey

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 retrieve using the database identifier returned from keys.createKey.
Do not confuse this with the actual API key string that users include in requests.
Key data includes metadata, permissions, usage statistics, and configuration but never the plaintext key value unless decrypt=true.
Find this ID in creation responses, key listings, dashboard, or verification responses.

Length: 3–255Pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$

decryptboolean#

Controls whether to include the plaintext key value in the response for recovery purposes.
Only works for keys created with recoverable=true and requires the decrypt_key permission.
Returned keys must be handled securely, never logged, cached, or stored insecurely.

Use only for legitimate recovery scenarios like user password resets or emergency access.
Most applications should keep this false to maintain security best practices and avoid accidental key exposure.
Decryption requests are audited and may trigger security alerts in enterprise environments.

Default: false

Responses

application/json

Successfully retrieved key information. When decrypt: true, includes plaintext key value for recoverable keys.

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#

Show child attributes

keyIdstringrequired#

Unique identifier for this key.

Length: 8–255Pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$

startstringrequired#

First few characters of the key for identification.

Length: 1–50

enabledbooleanrequired#

Whether the key is enabled or disabled.

namestring#

Human-readable name for this key.

Length: max 255

metaobject#

Custom metadata associated with this key.

createdAtintegerrequired#

Unix timestamp in milliseconds when key was created.

Range: 0–9223372036854776000

updatedAtinteger#

Unix timestamp in milliseconds when key was last updated.

Range: 0–9223372036854776000

lastUsedAtinteger#

Unix timestamp in milliseconds when key was last used for verification. This is an approximated value, accurate to within 5 minutes.

Range: >= 0

expiresinteger#

Unix timestamp in milliseconds when key expires (if set).

Range: 0–9223372036854776000

permissionsstring[]#

rolesstring[]#

creditsobject#

Credit configuration and remaining balance for this key.

Show child attributes

remainingintegerrequired#

Number of credits remaining (null for unlimited).

Range: 0–9223372036854776000

refillobject#

Configuration for automatic credit refill behavior.

Show child attributes

intervalenum<string>required#

How often credits are automatically refilled.

Options:dailymonthly

amountintegerrequired#

Number of credits to add during each refill cycle.

Range: 1–9223372036854776000

refillDayinteger#

Day of the month for monthly refills (1-31).
Only required when interval is 'monthly'.
For days beyond the month's length, refill occurs on the last day of the month.

Range: 1–31

identityobject#

Show child attributes

idstringrequired#

Identity ID

externalIdstringrequired#

External identity ID

metaobject#

Identity metadata

ratelimitsobject[]#

Identity ratelimits

Show child attributes

idstringrequired#

Unique identifier for this rate limit configuration.

Length: 8–255Pattern: ^rl_[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$

namestringrequired#

Human-readable name for this rate limit.

Length: 1–128

limitintegerrequired#

Maximum requests allowed within the time window.

Range: 1–1000000

durationintegerrequired#

Rate limit window duration in milliseconds.

Range: 1000–2592000000

autoApplybooleanrequired#

Whether this rate limit was automatically applied when verifying the key.

plaintextstring#

Decrypted key value (only when decrypt=true).

ratelimitsobject[]#

Items: max 50

Show child attributes

idstringrequired#

Unique identifier for this rate limit configuration.

Length: 8–255Pattern: ^rl_[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$

namestringrequired#

Human-readable name for this rate limit.

Length: 1–128

limitintegerrequired#

Maximum requests allowed within the time window.

Range: 1–1000000

durationintegerrequired#

Rate limit window duration in milliseconds.

Range: 1000–2592000000

autoApplybooleanrequired#

Whether this rate limit was automatically applied when verifying the key.

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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