# create-api

> Create an API namespace in Unkey using the CLI. Organize your keys by environment, service, or product with a single terminal command.

Create an API namespace for organizing keys by environment, service, or product.

Use this to separate production from development keys, isolate different services, or manage multiple products. Each API gets a unique identifier and dedicated infrastructure for secure key operations.

**Important:** API names must be unique within your workspace and cannot be changed after creation.

**Required permissions:**
- `api.*.create_api` (to create APIs in any workspace)

<Note>
See the [API reference](/api-reference/apis/create-api-namespace) for the full HTTP endpoint documentation.
</Note>

## Usage

```bash
unkey api apis create-api [flags]
```

## Flags

<ParamField body="--name" type="string" required>
Human-readable name for this API namespace within your workspace. Use a descriptive name like `Payment Service (prod)` or `user-api-dev` to identify its purpose and environment. Must be 3-256 characters.
</ParamField>

## Global Flags

| Flag | Type | Description |
|------|------|-------------|
| `--root-key` | string | Override root key (`$UNKEY_ROOT_KEY`) |
| `--api-url` | string | Override API base URL (default: `https://api.unkey.com`) |
| `--config` | string | Path to config file (default: `~/.unkey/config.toml`) |
| `--output` | string | Output format. Use `json` for raw JSON |
| `--body` | string | Send this JSON string as the request body. You cannot combine it with request-building flags. |

## Examples

<CodeGroup>
```bash Basic
unkey api apis create-api --name=payment-service-prod
```
```bash JSON output for scripting
unkey api apis create-api --name=user-api-dev --output=json
```
```bash Pipe the API ID to another command
API_ID=$(unkey api apis create-api --name=my-api --output=json | jq -r '.data.id')
unkey api keys create-key --api-id=$API_ID
```
</CodeGroup>

## Output

Default output shows the request ID, followed by the created API:

```text
req_2c9a0jf23l4k567

{
  "id": "api_1234abcd",
  "name": "payment-service-prod"
}
```

With `--output=json`, the full response envelope is returned:

```json
{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_2c9a0jf23l4k567"
  },
  "data": {
    "id": "api_1234abcd",
    "name": "payment-service-prod"
  }
}
```