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/<key_id>#write.
Use rootKeys/*#write to update any root key in the workspace.
permissions replaces the complete permission set. Each permission must be a supported URN
in the authenticated workspace and within the caller’s permissions.
An expiring root key can only update root keys that expire no later than itself.
Provide at least one of --name, --enabled, or --permissions. Omitted fields stay unchanged. An empty --permissions= removes all permissions. Use --body with name: null to remove the name.
Usage
Flags
boolean
Whether the root key can authenticate. Omit to keep the current state.
string
required
Root key identifier returned by rootKeys.createKey or rootKeys.listKeys.
string
New root key name. Set null to remove the name. Omit to keep the current name. Use
--body to send name: null. An empty string is not a valid name.string[]
Complete replacement permission set. Every permission must be a supported URN in the authenticated workspace and within the caller’s permissions. Omit to keep the current permissions. Pass comma-separated permission URNs. Pass
--permissions= to remove every permission.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.updateKey and prints its response. See the endpoint definition for the HTTP contract. Request fields use camelCase in --body.