API Keys

API keys authenticate your applications with the CronDB API. Each key is a unique credential that identifies your account and tracks usage.

Creating an API Key

1. Navigate to Developer → API Keys
2. Click + Create API Key
3. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "Production Backend", "Staging", "Zapier")
4. Click Create
5. Copy the key immediately — it is displayed only once

API keys follow the format: cdb_[random_string]

One-Time Display

Your API key is shown only at creation time. CronDB stores a hashed version and cannot retrieve the original. If you lose a key, create a new one and revoke the old one.

Using Your API Key

Include the key in the Authorization header of every API request:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer cdb_your_api_key_here" \
  "https://api.crondb.com/v1/enrichment/domain?domain=example.com"

Python

import requests

headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer cdb_your_api_key_here"}
response = requests.get(
    "https://api.crondb.com/v1/enrichment/domain",
    params={"domain": "example.com"},
    headers=headers,
)

JavaScript

const response = await fetch(
  "https://api.crondb.com/v1/enrichment/domain?domain=example.com",
  {
    headers: { Authorization: "Bearer cdb_your_api_key_here" },
  }
);

Managing Keys

Key Dashboard

The API Keys page shows all your keys:

Column	Description
Name	The label you assigned
Key Prefix	First 8 characters (for identification)
Created	When the key was generated
Last Used	Most recent API call
Queries	Total queries made with this key
Status	Active or Revoked

Renaming a Key

Click the key name to edit it. Changing the name does not affect the key's functionality.

Viewing Key Usage

Click Usage next to any key to see:

• Daily query count for this specific key
• Endpoint breakdown
• Error rates
• Most recent requests

Revoking a Key

1. Find the key in the list
2. Click the Revoke button (or three-dot menu → Revoke)
3. Confirm the revocation
4. The key immediately stops working

Revoked keys remain visible in the list (marked as revoked) for audit purposes.

Key Rotation

To rotate a key without downtime:

1. Create a new key
2. Update your application to use the new key
3. Deploy the update
4. Verify the new key is working
5. Revoke the old key

Best Practices

Use Separate Keys per Environment

Production:  cdb_...prod_key
Staging:     cdb_...staging_key
Development: cdb_...dev_key

This lets you revoke a compromised key without affecting other environments.

Store Keys Securely

• Use environment variables, not hardcoded strings
• Use a secrets manager (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault)
• Never commit API keys to version control
• Never share keys in plaintext via email or chat

# Good: Environment variable
export CRONDB_API_KEY="cdb_your_api_key_here"

# Good: Read from environment
import os
api_key = os.environ["CRONDB_API_KEY"]

Monitor Key Usage

Check the usage dashboard regularly to:

• Detect unexpected spikes (possible key compromise)
• Identify unused keys (candidates for revocation)
• Understand which applications consume the most quota

Key Limits

Plan	Max API Keys
Free	2
Starter	5
Pro	20
Enterprise	Unlimited

Next Steps

• Your First API Call — Use your key to make requests
• API Authentication — Detailed auth documentation
• Security — Protect your account and keys

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Try it now →