> ## 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.

# Python guide

> Verify API keys from Python with unkey.py.

export const versions = {
  cli: "2.0.150",
  tsApi: "2.5.1",
  tsRatelimit: "2.1.4",
  tsHono: "2.0.0",
  tsNextjs: "2.0.0",
  tsCache: "1.5.0",
  tsNuxt: "1.1.15",
  goSdk: "v3.0.1",
  pySdk: "3.0.3"
};

Protect a Python API with API keys, using the official SDK, `unkey.py` (version {versions.pySdk}). The examples use FastAPI, but the client calls are the same in Flask or Django. For a fuller FastAPI setup, see [FastAPI authentication](/docs/api-management/cookbook/fastapi-auth).

<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>

<Steps titleSize="h3">
  <Step title="Create a root key and a keyspace">
    In the dashboard, go to **Settings > Root Keys** and create a root key with `api.*.create_api`, `api.*.create_key`, and `api.*.verify_key`. Put it in your server's `UNKEY_ROOT_KEY` environment variable. Never send it to a browser or mobile app.

    Then create a keyspace, which holds your keys. Use **Keyspaces (APIs)** in the dashboard, or `apis.createApi`:

    ```bash create a keyspace theme={"system"}
    curl -X POST https://api.unkey.com/v2/apis.createApi \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer $UNKEY_ROOT_KEY" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -d '{ "name": "my-api" }'
    ```

    Keep the `data.apiId` from the response. You need it to create keys. See [Root keys](/docs/platform/root-keys/overview) for more on root keys.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install the SDK">
    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash pip theme={"system"}
      pip install unkey.py fastapi uvicorn
      ```

      ```bash uv theme={"system"}
      uv add unkey.py fastapi uvicorn
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    Create the client with `Unkey(root_key=...)`. It works as a context manager, and every method has an `_async` version for `asyncio`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a key for a user">
    Create a key from your backend when a user signs up or asks for one. `externalId` links the key to the user, so verification tells you who's calling. `meta` comes back on every verification. You get `data.key` only once: show it to the user and store only `data.keyId`.

    <CodeGroup>
      ```bash curl theme={"system"}
      curl -X POST https://api.unkey.com/v2/keys.createKey \
        -H "Authorization: Bearer $UNKEY_ROOT_KEY" \
        -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
        -d '{ "apiId": "api_...", "prefix": "sk_live", "externalId": "user_123", "meta": { "plan": "free" } }'
      ```

      ```python Python theme={"system"}
      import os

      from unkey.py import Unkey

      with Unkey(root_key=os.environ["UNKEY_ROOT_KEY"]) as unkey:
          created = unkey.keys.create_key(
              api_id=os.environ["UNKEY_API_ID"],
              prefix="sk_live",
              external_id="user_123",
              meta={"plan": "free"},
          )
          # created.data.key is the plaintext, created.data.key_id the handle you keep
          print(created.data.key_id)
      ```
    </CodeGroup>

    Every field is described in [Creating keys](/docs/api-management/keys/creating-keys).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Verify the key in a dependency">
    The dependency reads the bearer token, calls `keys.verify_key`, and raises `HTTPException` with the right status when `data.valid` is false. If the call itself fails, it raises `errors.UnkeyError`, or an `httpx` error for a timeout or connection failure. Catch both and return 503, so callers can tell an outage from a rejected key.

    ```python main.py theme={"system"}
    import os

    import httpx
    from fastapi import Depends, FastAPI, HTTPException, Request
    from unkey.py import Unkey, errors

    app = FastAPI()
    unkey = Unkey(root_key=os.environ["UNKEY_ROOT_KEY"])

    STATUS = {
        "RATE_LIMITED": 429,
        "USAGE_EXCEEDED": 402,
        "FORBIDDEN": 403,
        "INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS": 403,
    }


    def require_key(request: Request):
        auth = request.headers.get("authorization", "")
        if not auth.startswith("Bearer "):
            raise HTTPException(status_code=401, detail="missing API key")
        key = auth[len("Bearer "):]

        try:
            res = unkey.keys.verify_key(
                key=key,
                tags=[f"endpoint={request.url.path}", f"method={request.method}"],
            )
        except (errors.UnkeyError, httpx.HTTPError) as e:
            # The call failed (bad root key, throttle, outage), not the user's key.
            raise HTTPException(status_code=503, detail="authentication unavailable") from e

        if not res.data.valid:
            code = res.data.code
            raise HTTPException(status_code=STATUS.get(code, 401), detail=code)
        return res.data


    @app.get("/items")
    def list_items(verification=Depends(require_key)):
        owner = verification.identity.external_id if verification.identity else None
        return {"items": [], "owner": owner}
    ```

    For an async app, create the client with `async with Unkey(...)` and call `await unkey.keys.verify_key_async(key=key)`.

    ```bash theme={"system"}
    uvicorn main:app --port 3000
    curl http://localhost:3000/items -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_live_..."
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Handle the outcome codes">
    `keys.verifyKey` returns HTTP 200 for every outcome. Check `data.valid`, then `data.code` for the reason, and return the matching status from your API:

    | `data.code` | Meaning | Return |
    | - | - | - |
    | `VALID` | Every check passed. | continue |
    | `NOT_FOUND` | No such key, or your root key may not verify this keyspace. | 401 |
    | `DISABLED` | The key was disabled. | 401 |
    | `EXPIRED` | The key's expiry passed. | 401 |
    | `FORBIDDEN` | Client IP not on the keyspace allow list, or the workspace is disabled. | 403 |
    | `INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS` | The `permissions` query was not satisfied. | 403 |
    | `RATE_LIMITED` | A <Tooltip tip="Here: limits enforced by keys.verifyKey on a key or identity, or by the standalone ratelimit API. Not a Compute gateway policy.">rate limit</Tooltip> on the key or its identity was exceeded. | 429 |
    | `USAGE_EXCEEDED` | The key has no credits left. | 402 or 429 |

    Remaining credits are in `data.credits`, and each checked rate limit is in `data.ratelimits` with `remaining` and `reset`. The call only fails with an HTTP error (which the SDKs throw) when the call itself is wrong, such as a bad root key or a malformed body. See [Verifying keys](/docs/api-management/keys/verifying-keys) for every field.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Next steps">
    <Columns cols={2}>
      <Card title="Verifying keys" href="/docs/api-management/keys/verifying-keys" icon="key">Every request field, the order of checks, and every response field.</Card>
      <Card title="Credits and refill" href="/docs/api-management/keys/credits-and-refill" icon="coins">Meter usage per key and refill balances on a schedule.</Card>
      <Card title="Cookbook" href="/docs/api-management/cookbook/index" icon="book">Copy-ready recipes for rate limits, billing, and subscription tiers.</Card>
    </Columns>
  </Step>
</Steps>