CLI authentication

The unkey auth login command stores your root key in a local config file so you don't have to pass --root-key on every CLI invocation.

Prerequisites#

• An Unkey account with a root key
• The Unkey CLI installed (see installation)

Installation#

Install the CLI with npm:

npm install -g unkey

Or run it directly with npx:

npx unkey auth login

Log in#

Run the auth login command and paste your root key when prompted:

unkey auth login

Enter your root key: ****Authentication successful. Key stored in ~/.unkey/config.toml

The key is read as hidden input, it won't be displayed in your terminal.

How it works#

Your root key is saved to ~/.unkey/config.toml. Once stored, other CLI commands (like unkey deploy) use it automatically instead of requiring a --root-key flag.

root_key = "unkey_..."

Best practices#

• Use a dedicated root key for the CLI: create a separate key with only the permissions your CLI workflows need. See root key permissions for guidance.
• Don't commit the config file: add ~/.unkey/ to your global gitignore or verify it's excluded from your project repositories.
• Rotate periodically: run unkey auth login again with a new key to replace the stored one.

Next steps#