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

> ## Agent Instructions
> Unkey is two separate products. Compute builds, deploys, and runs apps behind a gateway. API Management issues API keys, enforces rate limits, manages identities and permissions, and reports usage. Say which product a page belongs to; a reader can use either without the other.
> Every Unkey API endpoint is an HTTP POST to https://api.unkey.com/v2/{service}.{procedure} with a root key in the Authorization: Bearer header. Root keys are workspace scoped.
> Error codes have the form err:{system}:{category}:{specific} and each has a page at /errors/{system}/{category}/{specific}.
> The word environment means production or preview in Compute. Rate limiting has four meanings on this site; the glossary lists them.

# unkey api identities create-identity

> Create an identity that groups keys under one user or tenant.

<Note>
  You need a root key with the permissions listed on this page. Create one in the dashboard under **Settings > Root Keys**. See [Permission reference](/docs/platform/root-keys/permissions-legacy) for every permission.
</Note>

Create an identity. Keys linked to it by `externalId` share its metadata and rate limits, so a user with several keys is rate limited as one. Calls `POST /v2/identities.createIdentity`. See [Identities](/docs/api-management/identities/overview).

## Usage

```bash theme={"system"}
unkey api identities create-identity --external-id=<external id> [flags]
```

## Flags

<ParamField body="--external-id" type="string" required>
  Your identifier for the user, organization, or tenant. Unique per workspace. Reusing one returns 409 [`err:unkey:data:identity_already_exists`](/docs/errors/unkey/data/identity_already_exists).
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--meta" type="string">
  JSON object stored on the identity and returned when any of its keys is verified.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--ratelimits" type="string">
  JSON array of rate limits shared by every key of the identity, each with `name`, `limit`, `duration` in milliseconds, and `autoApply`.
</ParamField>

### Shared flags

Every `unkey api` command takes these. See [CLI output and shared flags](/docs/platform/cli/output-and-flags).

<ParamField body="--root-key" type="string">
  Root key used for the request. Falls back to `UNKEY_ROOT_KEY`, then to the key stored by `unkey auth login`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--api-url" type="string" default="https://api.unkey.com">
  Base URL of the API. Falls back to `UNKEY_API_BASE_URL`. You don't normally need to set it.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--config" type="string" default="~/.unkey/config.toml">
  Path of the config file written by `unkey auth login`. Falls back to `UNKEY_CONFIG`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--output" type="string">
  Output format. Falls back to `UNKEY_OUTPUT`. `json` prints the full response. Any other value prints the request ID and `data`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--body" type="string">
  Send this JSON as the whole request body instead of using the command's flags. You can't combine it with them.
</ParamField>

## Required permissions

`identity.*.create_identity`. See [Root key permissions](/docs/platform/root-keys/permissions).

## Examples

```bash Create theme={"system"}
unkey api identities create-identity --external-id=user_123
```

```bash Create with a shared rate limit theme={"system"}
unkey api identities create-identity --external-id=user_123 --ratelimits='[{"name":"requests","limit":1000,"duration":3600000,"autoApply":true}]'
```

Or send the whole request as JSON:

```bash Raw body theme={"system"}
unkey api identities create-identity --body='{"externalId":"user_123","meta":{"plan":"pro"}}'
```