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API Keys

API Keys are authentication credentials for calling AI Gateway services. They can be created and managed in both Account Settings (personal) and Organization Settings. Unlike Git Access Tokens, API Keys are designed exclusively for AI Gateway inference calls — they support multiple concurrent keys, each with its own name, usage quota, and expiration date.

info

API Keys vs. Git Access Token

API KeysGit Access Token
PurposeCall AI Gateway inference endpointsGit operations (clone/push/pull) and CSGHub API
QuantityMultiple keys can coexistOnly one active token at a time
ManagementCreate, name, set quota, set expiry, deleteOnly needs to be refreshed (reset)

Where to Manage API Keys​

API Keys support two management scopes:

  • Personal API Keys: For calling AI Gateway under your personal account. Go to Account Settings → API Keys.
  • Organization API Keys: For calling AI Gateway under an organization identity, ideal for team-shared access or per-project quota isolation. Go to Organization Settings → API Keys.

apikeys_list

Creating an API Key​

  1. Navigate to the API Keys management page (personal or organization).

  2. Click the New API Key button. A creation dialog will appear.

  3. Fill in the following fields:

    • Name (required): A descriptive label for this key, e.g., production, testing.
    • Usage Quota (optional): Set a spending limit for this key:
      • Unlimited: No spending cap.
      • Monthly Quota: Resets each calendar month; requests are rejected once the limit is reached.
      • Total Quota: Cumulative spending cap for the entire lifetime of the key.
    • Expiration (optional): Set an expiry date for the key, or choose Never expires.

  4. Click Create. The system will generate an API Key prefixed with gw-sk-.

apikeys_create

warning

Important: Save your API Key immediately

The full API Key is displayed only once after creation. Once you close the dialog, the key will be masked (e.g., gw-sk-****abcde) and cannot be retrieved again. Make sure to copy and store it securely before closing.

API Keys List​

The API Keys list shows the following information:

FieldDescription
NameThe label assigned when the key was created
API KeyThe masked key (e.g., gw-sk-****7f2a)
Usage QuotaAmount consumed / limit set (e.g., ¥45.50 / Unlimited)
ExpirationThe key's expiry date
Created AtThe date the key was created
ActionsEdit quota settings or delete the key

Deleting an API Key​

  1. Locate the key you want to delete in the API Keys list.
  2. Click the Delete icon in the Actions column.
  3. Confirm the deletion.
caution

A deleted API Key is immediately invalidated. All requests carrying this key will be rejected by AI Gateway. Ensure your applications have been updated to use a new key before deleting the old one.

How to Use an API Key​

Once you have your API Key, include it as a Bearer Token in the Authorization header to call any AI Gateway model endpoint:

curl https://<your-gateway-host>/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer gw-sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "Qwen2.5-72B-Instruct",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

AI Gateway is fully compatible with the OpenAI API standard. You can use the OpenAI SDK, LangChain, or any compatible tool by simply replacing the base_url and API key:

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="gw-sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx",
    base_url="https://<your-gateway-host>/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="Qwen2.5-72B-Instruct",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)
print(response.choices[0].message.content)

FAQ​

Q: What should I do if my API Key is leaked?
A: Go to the API Keys management page immediately and delete the compromised key. AI Gateway will instantly block all requests using that key. Create a new key to replace it in your applications.

Q: Can I use an API Key for Git operations?
A: No. API Keys are exclusively for AI Gateway inference calls. For Git operations and CSGHub platform API access, use your Git Access Token instead.

Q: What's the difference between a personal API Key and an organization API Key?
A: The usage is identical. The difference is in billing attribution: usage from a personal key is charged to your personal account, while usage from an organization key is charged to the organization's account. This makes it easy to track costs by team or project.