> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.testvibe.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.testvibe.com/testvibe-api/getting-started/authentication.md).

# Authentication & API keys

Every surface — REST, CLI, MCP — authenticates with a long-lived **API key**.

## Creating a key

Keys are created in the TestVibe app under **Settings → CLI & API keys**. A key looks like:

```
tvb_9hK2mPqRsT4uVwXyZ1aB3cD5eF7gH8jL0nQ6rS2tU4v
```

* The `tvb_` prefix plus 43 base62 characters.
* The full key is shown **exactly once**, at creation. Only a hash is stored server-side; if you lose the key, revoke it and create a new one.
* The Settings panel shows each key's display prefix (`tvb_XXXXXXXX`), creation date, and last-used time.

## Using a key

Send it as a bearer token on every request:

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $TESTVIBE_API_KEY" \
  "$TESTVIBE_SERVER/api/v1/ops/projects"
```

The CLI and MCP server read it from `testvibe login`, the `TESTVIBE_API_KEY` environment variable, or per-repo config — see [The testvibe CLI](/testvibe-api/cli/cli.md).

## What a key can do

A key **acts as the user who created it, inside the workspace it was created in**:

* It can see and operate on every project of that workspace (subject to the creator's access).
* It stops working immediately if it is **revoked**, or if the creating user **leaves the workspace**.

## Failure mode

Requests without a valid key get `401`:

```json
{
  "error": "unauthorized",
  "message": "A valid API key is required (Authorization: Bearer tvb_…)."
}
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Key hygiene.** Put keys in environment variables or secret stores, never in committed files. Create one key per machine or integration so you can revoke them independently.
{% endhint %}


---

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