# Create and manage your API keys

Create a personal ATLAS API key to call models from a tool, script or the chat. Choose which space or project it draws from, switch that choice later and revoke the key when you're finished.

## Before you begin

- You belong to an organisation. Otherwise the page redirects you to your profile.
- You are an explicit member of the team space or active project the key should act under. Owners and Admins need to be members too.

## Create a key

1. Open **My API keys** in the **Personal** group of the sidebar.
2. Select **Create API key**.
3. Choose a **Context**, the space or project the key acts under (its acting context). Leave it empty to create an unbound key that you bind later.
4. Enter a **Name**. It's required, can have up to 100 characters and must not be used by another of your keys.
5. Choose an **Expiration**: 7, 30, 90 (the default), 180 or 365 days, **Custom**, or **Never**.
   - When you choose a space, the dialog shows "Organization policy limits keys to N days maximum." It hides **Never** and the presets above N.
   - A custom value above the limit shows "Cannot exceed N days (organization policy)."
   - Keys that act under a project, and keys with no context, have no limit.
   - If a tool bypasses the dialog, the API refuses the request with a validation error naming the maximum validity period.
6. Select **Create Key**.
7. In the **API Key Created** dialog, copy the key straight away. The dialog warns that you can't see it again here. Until the key expires, you can still copy it with **Copy Key** in its row menu. For a key with an acting context, select **Set up a tool** to continue with [Connect Claude Code and opencode](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/guides/user/api-keys-connect-your-tools.md).

The key appears in **Your keys**, masked as `••••` plus its last four characters, with its context, status and 30-day usage. Personal keys start with `atl_sk_`.

**Result:** you have an active key that draws from the chosen space or project. Copy it into your tool, or continue with [Connect Claude Code and opencode](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/guides/user/api-keys-connect-your-tools.md).

## Switch the acting context

1. In **Your keys**, open the row menu of the key and choose **Switch Context**.
2. Choose the new space or project under **Context**.
3. Select **Switch Context**. An "Applying context change…" overlay runs for a few moments and then shows "Context change applied".

The gateway honours the new acting context within seconds. Requests sent during that time may still be billed and audited against the old one.

## Copy a key again

Open the row menu of the key and choose **Copy Key**. You can do this for your own keys until they expire.

## Revoke a key

1. In **Your keys**, open the row menu of the key and choose **Revoke**.
2. In the "Revoke API Key?" dialog, select **Revoke Key**.

The key stops working within seconds, and ATLAS records the revocation in the audit log. You can't undo it. Create a new key and update your tools.

## Read the page

| Element                        | Meaning                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Getting started** card       | A short checklist: create a key, bind it to a space or project, then connect a tool and send a request. **Open setup** jumps to the connect step. The card disappears when every step is done. |
| Status badge                   | **Active**, **Expiring Soon** (less than 7 days left), **Expired** or **Never expires**.                                                                                                       |
| Notice about unbound keys      | The key has no acting context. Every gateway call returns `no_acting_context` until you switch the context.                                                                                    |
| Notice about archived projects | The key is bound to an archived project, and the gateway refuses its requests. Switch its context or ask an Admin to reactivate the project.                                                   |
| **Connect your tooling** panel | Shows the selected key's context, requests in the last 30 days, last use and budget, plus ready-made settings for your tools.                                                                  |

## Troubleshooting

| Symptom                                        | Cause and fix                                                                    |
| ---------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| "An API key with this name already exists"     | Choose another name.                                                             |
| A space cannot be selected                     | You are not a member of it, or it is a governance space, which cannot hold keys. |
| A project cannot be selected                   | You are not a member of it, or it is not active.                                 |
| `no_acting_context` from the gateway           | The key has no acting context. Use **Switch Context**.                           |
| `project_archived` or `organization_suspended` | Ask your Admin.                                                                  |

## Related

- [Connect Claude Code and opencode](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/guides/user/api-keys-connect-your-tools.md)
- [Act under a project with a personal key](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/guides/user/projects-act-under-a-project.md)
- [API keys concepts](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/concepts/api-keys.md) and [API keys reference](https://docs.atlas.ilionx.dev/reference/api-keys.md)