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

# API keys

> Generate, manage, and revoke API keys from your Screenshotly dashboard.

API keys authenticate your requests to the Screenshotly API. Manage them from the [API settings](https://app.screenshotly.dev/settings/api) page in your dashboard.

## Generating a new key

1. Go to [API settings](https://app.screenshotly.dev/settings/api)
2. Click **Generate new API key**
3. Give the key a descriptive name (e.g., "Production server", "Staging")
4. Copy the key immediately

<Warning>
  The full API key is only shown once. Copy it and store it securely. If you lose it, you'll need to generate a new one.
</Warning>

## Using your key

Include it in the `X-API-Key` header:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.screenshotly.dev/v1/capture \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"url": "https://example.com"}'
```

Or pass it as a query parameter:

```bash theme={null}
curl "https://api.screenshotly.dev/v1/capture?url=https://example.com&api_key=YOUR_API_KEY" \
  --output screenshot.png
```

Or pass it to the JavaScript SDK constructor:

```javascript theme={null}
const client = new Screenshotly(process.env.SCREENSHOTLY_API_KEY);
```

See [authentication](/api-reference/authentication) for full details.

## Revoking a key

1. Go to [API settings](https://app.screenshotly.dev/settings/api)
2. Find the key you want to revoke
3. Click **Revoke**
4. Confirm the action

Once revoked, the key immediately stops working. Any requests using the revoked key will receive a `401` response with error code `invalid_api_key`.

## Best practices

* **Use environment variables** — never hardcode API keys in source files
* **Separate keys per environment** — use different keys for development, staging, and production
* **Name keys descriptively** — so you know which key is used where
* **Revoke unused keys** — remove keys that are no longer in use
* **Rotate keys periodically** — generate new keys and phase out old ones
* **Never commit keys** — add `.env` to your `.gitignore` file

```bash theme={null}
# .env
SCREENSHOTLY_API_KEY=your-api-key-here
```

```bash theme={null}
# .gitignore
.env
```