> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mind-e.co/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API Keys

> Create and manage API keys to access the Mind-e API programmatically.

API keys let you interact with your agents through the [REST API](/api-reference/introduction). Use them to send chat messages, retrieve conversations, and integrate Mind-e into your own applications.

## Creating an API key

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to settings">
    Open your [dashboard settings](https://app.mind-e.co/dashboard/settings) and find the **API Keys** section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a key">
    Click **Create API Key** and fill in:

    * **Name** — a descriptive name for the key (3–50 characters), e.g., "Production Backend" or "Testing"
    * **Agent scope** — choose **All Agents** to access any agent, or select a specific agent to restrict access
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the key">
    Your API key is displayed once after creation. Copy it immediately — you won't be able to see the full key again.

    The key format looks like:

    ```
    sk_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Store your API key securely. Never expose it in client-side code, public repositories, or browser requests. If a key is compromised, delete it immediately and create a new one.
</Warning>

## Using an API key

Include your API key in the `Authorization` header of API requests:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.mind-e.co/chat \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "agentId": "your-agent-id",
    "message": "What are your business hours?"
  }'
```

See the [API Reference](/api-reference/introduction) for all available endpoints.

## Key limits

| Scope      | Max keys |
| ---------- | -------- |
| Per agent  | 2        |
| All Agents | 2        |

## Agent scope

| Scope              | Behavior                                                                                     |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **All Agents**     | The key can access any agent you own. You specify the agent ID in each API request.          |
| **Specific Agent** | The key only works with the selected agent. Requests with a different agent ID are rejected. |

Use agent-specific keys when you want to limit access — for example, giving a key to a third-party integration that should only access one agent.

## Managing keys

In the API Keys section of your settings, you can see all your keys with:

* **Name** — the key's label
* **Key prefix** — the first characters of the key (for identification)
* **Agent scope** — which agents the key can access
* **Last used** — when the key was last used in an API request
* **Status** — active or inactive

### Deleting a key

Click the delete icon next to a key to deactivate it. The key immediately stops working for all API requests. This action cannot be undone — you'll need to create a new key if you need access again.