# General Translation Platform: API Keys
URL: https://generaltranslation.com/en-GB/docs/platform/api-keys.mdx
---
title: API Keys
description: Manage authentication keys with granular permissions
---

API keys authenticate applications, CI jobs, and automation with General Translation services. Create keys at the project level for a single project, or at the organisation level for automation that needs broader access.

Copy the full key immediately after creation. The dashboard only shows it once.

## Key scopes

| Scope            | Best for                                                                                             |
| ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Project**      | A single project, deployed app, local development, previews, and project-scoped tooling              |
| **Organisation** | Organisation-level automation, CI that works across projects, and tools that need custom permissions |

Project keys and organisation keys have different creation processes. Project keys are created as production or development keys. Organisation keys use a permission selector.

## Project keys

Create project keys from **Project -> API Keys**.

| Type            | Prefix     | Use case                                                     |
| --------------- | ---------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| **Production**  | `gtx-api-` | Deployed applications and production automation              |
| **Development** | `gtx-dev-` | Local development, preview environments, and test automation |

Project keys are linked to the selected project. In most project SDK and CLI workflows, use the key with your project ID:

```bash
GT_API_KEY=gtx-api-...
GT_PROJECT_ID=...
```

## Organisation keys

Create organisation keys from **Organisation -> API Keys**.

Organisation keys use the `gtx-org-` prefix and can be configured with a custom set of permissions. Use them for organisation-level automation or workflows that need to operate across projects in the organisation.

## Organisation key permissions

Permissions are configured per resource. `Write` includes `Read`.

| Resource                | Read                                  | Write or enabled                                      |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Files**               | Read project files and translations   | Upload source content and write translated files      |
| **Context**             | Read project and organisation context | Manage context groups, glossary, and directives       |
| **Runtime translation** | Not applicable                        | Translate content on demand                           |
| **Translation queue**   | Not applicable                        | Queue file translation jobs for background processing |
| **Project settings**    | Not applicable                        | Update project settings such as the default locale    |

Grant each key only the permissions it needs.

## Rotate or revoke keys

Open the project's or organisation's key list to review existing keys. Revoke any keys that are no longer in use, and create replacements when rotating credentials.

## Security practices

* Never commit keys to source control
* Store keys in environment variables or a secrets manager
* Use separate keys for development, staging, and production
* Rotate keys periodically and revoke unused ones
* Prefer the narrowest scope that works for the integration