Create a root key with the permissions listed on this page under Root Keys in the dashboard sidebar. CLI commands can instead use a session from unkey login with the required permissions. See Permission reference for every permission.
unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:rootKeys/*#write.
The created root key cannot have more permissions than the caller.
Save the returned secret securely. You can’t retrieve it later. The permission array may be empty, but an empty set grants no access. Use --body to send an empty array.
Usage
Flags
integer
Expiration as Unix milliseconds, strictly in the future. Expiring root-key callers must provide a child expiry no later than their own. JWT admins and nonexpiring root-key callers may omit it or set null for no expiration. The flag accepts an integer. Use
--body to send expires: null.string
Optional name for the root key.
string[]
required
Permissions to grant to the root key. Each permission must be within the caller’s existing permissions. Pass comma-separated permission URNs. To create a key with no permissions, use
--body with permissions: [].Shared flags
These flags control authentication, requests, and output. CLI output and shared flags describes them in full.string
A JSON document sent as the request body instead of building it from the flags above. It is mutually exclusive with the request-building flags, and unknown fields are rejected locally. See Send a raw body.
string
Root key used for the request. Falls back to
UNKEY_ROOT_KEY, then stored credentials, including a CLI session. See CLI authentication for the full precedence order.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.string
default:"~/.unkey/config.toml"
Path of the TOML config file. Falls back to
UNKEY_CONFIG. An explicit --config takes precedence over a stored CLI session. Browser login stores a session, not a root key in this file. See CLI authentication.enum
default:"human"
Use
human (default) for name-first summary tables and labeled details, or json for the unchanged full response envelope, including all fields and pagination. Terminal tables use relative timestamps and may shorten display names and descriptions, but never identifiers, slugs, or credentials. Redirected human output keeps complete values and uses RFC3339 UTC timestamps. Falls back to UNKEY_OUTPUT; other values are rejected. --json also selects JSON output. Add --debug to print the request ID to stderr. See Output formats.boolean
Print the successful response’s request ID to stderr, separate from stdout.
boolean
Print the full response as JSON. Takes precedence over a valid
--output or UNKEY_OUTPUT value.Examples
API endpoint
The command callsPOST /v2/rootKeys.createKey and prints its response. See the endpoint definition for the HTTP contract. Request fields use camelCase in --body.