---
title: "Verify API key"
method: POST
path: "/v2/keys.verifyKey"
tags: ["keys"]
---

# Verify API key

`POST /v2/keys.verifyKey`

Verify an API key's validity and permissions for request authentication.

Use this endpoint on every incoming request to your protected resources. It checks key validity, permissions, rate limits, and usage quotas in a single call.

**Important**: Returns HTTP 200 for all verification outcomes — check the `valid` field in response data to determine if the key is authorized. A 429 may be returned if the workspace exceeds its API rate limit.

**Common use cases:**
- Authenticate API requests before processing
- Enforce permission-based access control
- Track usage and apply rate limits

**Required Permissions**

Your credential needs one of:
- `api.*.verify_key` (verify keys in any API)
- `api.<api_id>.verify_key` (verify keys in specific API)
- `unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/*/keys/*#verify_key` (verify keys in any keyspace)
- `unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>/keys/*#verify_key` (verify keys in a specific keyspace)
- `unkey:v1:<workspace_id>:keyspaces/<keyspace_id>/keys/<key_id>#verify_key` (verify a specific key)

**Note**: If your credential has no verify permissions at all, you will receive a `403 Forbidden` error. If your credential has verify permissions for a different API or keyspace than the key you're verifying, you will receive a `200` response with `code: NOT_FOUND` to avoid leaking key existence.

## Request body

- V2KeysVerifyKeyRequestBody
  - `key` string, required — The API key to verify, exactly as provided by your user. Include any prefix - even small changes will cause verification to fail.
  - `tags` string[] — Attaches metadata tags for analytics and monitoring without affecting verification outcomes. Enables segmentation of API usage in dashboards by endpoint, client version, region, or custom dimensions. Use 'key=value' format for compatibility with most analytics tools and clear categorization. Avoid including sensitive data in tags as they may appear in logs and analytics reports.
  - `permissions` string — Checks if the key has the specified permission(s) using a query syntax. Supports single permissions, logical operators (AND, OR), and parentheses for grouping. Examples: - Single permission: "documents.read" - Multiple permissions: "documents.read AND documents.write" - Complex queries: "(documents.read OR documents.write) AND users.view" Verification fails if the key lacks the required permissions through direct assignment or role inheritance.
  - `credits` KeysVerifyKeyCredits — Controls credit consumption for usage-based billing and quota enforcement. Omitting this field uses the default cost of 1 credit per verification. Credits provide globally consistent usage tracking, essential for paid APIs with strict quotas.
    - `cost` integer, required — Sets how many credits to deduct for this verification request. Use 0 for read-only operations or free tier access, higher values for premium features. Credits are deducted after all security checks pass. Essential for implementing usage-based pricing with different operation costs.
  - `ratelimits` KeysVerifyKeyRatelimit[] — Enforces time-based rate limiting during verification to prevent abuse and ensure fair usage. Omitting this field skips rate limit checks entirely, relying only on configured key rate limits. Multiple rate limits can be checked simultaneously, each with different costs and temporary overrides. Rate limit checks are optimized for performance but may allow brief bursts during high concurrency.
    - `name` string, required — References an existing ratelimit by its name. Key Ratelimits will take precedence over identifier-based limits.
    - `cost` integer — Optionally override how expensive this operation is and how many tokens are deducted from the current limit.
    - `limit` integer — Optionally override the maximum number of requests allowed within the specified interval.
    - `duration` integer — Optionally override the duration of the rate limit window duration.
  - `migrationId` string — Migrate keys on demand from your previous system. Reach out for migration support at support@unkey.dev

## Response `200`

Key verification process completed. This endpoint always returns HTTP 200 regardless of whether the key passed or failed verification. You must check the `valid` field in the response data to determine the actual verification result.

When verification succeeds, the response includes comprehensive information about the key including its current status, remaining credits, expiration time, associated permissions and roles, metadata, and any rate limiting information. This data enables your application to make informed authorization decisions and provide appropriate user experiences.

When verification fails, the response indicates the specific reason through the `code` field while setting `valid` to false. The failure codes help you handle different scenarios appropriately, such as directing users to renew expired keys, upgrade for more credits, or contact support for disabled keys.

The response also includes identity information when the key is associated with an identity, providing additional context about the key holder and any identity-specific rate limits or metadata that may apply to the verification.

- V2KeysVerifyKeyResponseBody
  - `meta` Meta, required — Metadata object included in every API response. This provides context about the request and is essential for debugging, audit trails, and support inquiries. The `requestId` is particularly important when troubleshooting issues with the Unkey support team.
    - `requestId` string, required — A unique id for this request. Always include this ID when contacting support about a specific API request. This identifier allows Unkey's support team to trace the exact request through logs and diagnostic systems to provide faster assistance.
  - `data` V2KeysVerifyKeyResponseData, required
    - `valid` boolean, required — The primary verification result. If true, the key is valid and can be used. If false, check the 'code' field to understand why verification failed. Your application should always check this field first before proceeding.
    - `code` 'VALID' | 'NOT_FOUND' | 'FORBIDDEN' | 'INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS' | 'USAGE_EXCEEDED' | 'RATE_LIMITED' | 'DISABLED' | 'EXPIRED', required — A machine-readable code indicating the verification status or failure reason. Values: `VALID` (key is valid and passed all checks), `NOT_FOUND` (key doesn't exist or belongs to wrong API), `FORBIDDEN` (key lacks required permissions), `INSUFFICIENT_PERMISSIONS` (key lacks specific required permissions for this request), `USAGE_EXCEEDED` (key has no remaining credits), `RATE_LIMITED` (key exceeded rate limits), `DISABLED` (key was explicitly disabled), `EXPIRED` (key has passed its expiration date).
    - `keyId` string — The unique identifier of the verified key in Unkey's system. Use this ID for operations like updating or revoking the key. This field is returned for both valid and invalid keys (except when `code=NOT_FOUND`).
    - `name` string — The human-readable name assigned to this key during creation. This is useful for displaying in logs or admin interfaces to identify the key's purpose.
    - `meta` object — Custom metadata associated with the key. This can include any JSON-serializable data you stored with the key during creation or updates, such as plan information, feature flags, or user details. Use this to avoid additional database lookups for contextual information needed during API calls.
    - `expires` integer — Unix timestamp (in milliseconds) when the key will expire. If omitted, the key has no expiration. You can use this to warn users about upcoming expirations or to understand the validity period.
    - `credits` integer — The number of requests/credits remaining for this key. If omitted, the key has unlimited usage. This value decreases with each verification (based on the 'cost' parameter) unless explicit credit refills are configured.
    - `enabled` boolean — Indicates if the key is currently enabled. Disabled keys will always fail verification with `code=DISABLED`. This is useful for implementing temporary suspensions without deleting the key.
    - `permissions` string[] — A list of all permission names assigned to this key, either directly or through roles. These permissions determine what actions the key can perform. Only returned when permissions were checked during verification or when the key fails with `code=FORBIDDEN`.
    - `roles` string[] — A list of all role names assigned to this key. Roles are collections of permissions that grant access to specific functionality. Only returned when permissions were checked during verification.
    - `identity` Identity
      - `id` string, required — Identity ID
      - `externalId` string, required — External identity ID
      - `meta` object — Identity metadata
      - `ratelimits` RatelimitResponse[] — Identity ratelimits
        - `id` string, required — Unique identifier for this rate limit configuration.
        - `name` string, required — Human-readable name for this rate limit.
        - `limit` integer, required — Maximum requests allowed within the time window.
        - `duration` integer, required — Rate limit window duration in milliseconds.
        - `autoApply` boolean, required — Whether this rate limit was automatically applied when verifying the key.
    - `ratelimits` VerifyKeyRatelimitData[]
      - `exceeded` boolean, required — Whether the rate limit was exceeded.
      - `id` string, required — Unique identifier for this rate limit configuration.
      - `name` string, required — Human-readable name for this rate limit.
      - `limit` integer, required — Maximum requests allowed within the time window.
      - `duration` integer, required — Rate limit window duration in milliseconds.
      - `reset` integer, required — Rate limit reset duration in milliseconds.
      - `remaining` integer, required — Rate limit remaining requests within the time window.
      - `autoApply` boolean, required — Whether this rate limit should be automatically applied when verifying keys. When true, we will automatically apply this limit during verification without it being explicitly listed.

## Other responses

- `400` — Bad request
- `401` — Unauthorized
- `403` — Forbidden. Returned when the credential has no verify permissions at all.
- `404` — Not found
- `429` — Too Many Requests
- `500` — Internal server error

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/unkeyed/apis/unkey-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/unkeyed/apis/unkey-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/unkeyed/unkey-api/revisions/e171c13af8aa/schema)