Reroll Key

Generate a new API key while preserving the configuration from an existing key.

This operation creates a fresh key with a new token while maintaining all settings from the original key:

Permissions and roles
Custom metadata
Rate limit configurations
Identity associations
Remaining credits
Recovery settings

Key Generation:

The system attempts to extract the prefix from the original key
If prefix extraction fails, the default API prefix is used
Key length follows the API's default byte configuration (or 16 bytes if not specified)

Original Key Handling:

The original key will be revoked after the duration specified in expiration
Set expiration to 0 to revoke immediately
This allows for graceful key rotation with an overlap period

Common use cases include:

Rotating keys for security compliance
Issuing replacement keys for compromised credentials
Creating backup keys with identical permissions

Important: Analytics and usage metrics are tracked at both the key level AND identity level. If the original key has an identity, the new key will inherit it, allowing you to track usage across both individual keys and the overall identity.

Required Permissions

Your credential must have:

api.*.create_key or api.<api_id>.create_key
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/*#create_key or unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>#create_key
api.*.encrypt_key or api.<api_id>.encrypt_key (only when the original key is recoverable)
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/*/keys/*#encrypt_key or unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>/keys/*#encrypt_key (only when the original key is recoverable)

1 min read

post/v2/keys.rerollKey

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.RerollKey(ctx, components.V2KeysRerollKeyRequestBody{
        KeyID: "key_2cGKbMxRyIzhCxo1Idjz8q",
        Expiration: 86400000,
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    if res.V2KeysRerollKeyResponseBody != nil {
        // handle response
    }
}

Response

{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_123"
  },
  "data": {
    "keyId": "key_2cGKbMxRyIzhCxo1Idjz8q",
    "key": "prod_2cGKbMxRjIzhCxo1IdjH3arELti7Sdyc8w6XYbvtcyuBowPT"
  }
}

post/v2/keys.rerollKey

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#

The database identifier of the key to reroll.

This is the unique ID returned when creating or listing keys, NOT the actual API key token.
You can find this ID in:

The response from keys.createKey
Key verification responses
The Unkey dashboard
API key listing endpoints

Length: 3–255Pattern: ^[a-zA-Z0-9_]+$

expirationintegerrequired#

Duration in milliseconds until the ORIGINAL key is revoked, starting from now.

This parameter controls the overlap period for key rotation:

Set to 0 to revoke the original key immediately
Positive values keep the original key active for the specified duration
Allows graceful migration by giving users time to update their credentials

Common overlap periods:

Immediate revocation: 0
1 hour grace period: 3600000
24 hours grace period: 86400000
7 days grace period: 604800000
30 days grace period: 2592000000

Range: 0–4102444800000

Responses

application/json

Key rerolled successfully.

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#

The unique identifier for the newly created key.

This is NOT the actual API key token, but a reference ID for management operations.
Store this ID to:

Update or revoke the key later
Track the key in your database
Display in admin dashboards (safe to log)

Note: This is a new ID - the original key retains its own ID.

keystringrequired#

The newly generated API key token (the actual secret that authenticates requests).

SECURITY CRITICAL:

This is the only time you'll receive the complete key
Unkey stores only a hashed version (unless the original key was created with recoverable=true)
Never log, store, or expose this value in your systems
Transmit directly to the end user via secure channels only
If lost and not recoverable, you must reroll or create a new key

The key format follows: [prefix]_[random_bytes]

Prefix is extracted from the original key or uses API default
Random bytes follow API configuration (default: 16 bytes)

This is NOT the keyId - it's the actual secret token used for authentication.

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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