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Vijil uses API keys to authenticate requests. You’ll need one key for local development, and potentially separate keys for CI/CD pipelines with different permission scopes. For automated pipelines that need to authenticate without user interaction, see Machine-to-Machine Authentication in the CI/CD guide.

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Getting an API Key

1

Log In

Go to console.vijil.ai and log in
2

Navigate to Settings

Go to Settings > API Keys
3

Create Key

Click Create API Key and name it
4

Copy Key

Copy the key immediately - it won’t be shown again

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Using the API Key

export VIJIL_API_KEY="your-api-key"

from vijil import Client

# Automatically reads from environment
client = Client()

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Direct Initialization

from vijil import Client

client = Client(api_key="your-api-key")
Never commit API keys to version control. Use environment variables or secrets management.

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Configuration File

Create ~/.vijil/config.yaml: 
api_key: your-api-key

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Key Permissions

API keys inherit team permissions:
ScopeCapabilities
Full AccessAll operations
Read OnlyView only
EvaluationsRun evaluations only

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Key Rotation

Rotate keys regularly:
  1. Create new key
  2. Update your applications
  3. Revoke old key

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Security Best Practices

  1. Use environment variables - Not hardcoded values
  2. Rotate regularly - Every 90 days recommended
  3. Limit scope - Use minimal permissions needed
  4. Monitor usage - Check for unauthorized access
  5. Revoke unused keys - Clean up old keys

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Troubleshooting

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”Invalid API Key”

  • Verify the key is correct
  • Check for extra whitespace
  • Ensure the key hasn’t been revoked

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”Insufficient Permissions”

  • Check key scope matches operation
  • Verify team membership
  • Contact admin for access

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Next Steps

Quickstart

Run your first evaluation

API Reference

Full API documentation
Last modified on March 19, 2026