Managing API Keys

Managing API Keys

API keys let you authenticate requests to the PulseAPI REST API so you can manage monitors, read incidents, and access your data programmatically. This article is an overview of API key management — for specific actions, see the linked articles below.

Prerequisites: API access requires a Starter, Professional, or Team plan.

What API Keys Are For

Use API keys to:

  • Integrate PulseAPI with your own tooling or internal dashboards
  • Automate monitor creation and management via CI/CD pipelines
  • Pull incident and check data into your own reporting systems
  • Trigger manual checks programmatically

API keys are not for authenticating end users — they're for machine-to-machine access.

Where to Find API Keys

  1. In the left sidebar, click Settings.
  2. Click the API Keys tab.

The API Keys tab lists all existing keys for your account, showing:

  • Key name
  • Last 8 characters of the token (the rest is hidden after creation)
  • Last used date
  • Creation date
  • Permissions (abilities)

Creating an API Key

See Creating an API Key for step-by-step instructions.

Important: The full API key token is shown only once — immediately after creation. Copy it and store it securely (e.g., in a password manager or secrets manager). If you lose it, you'll need to delete the key and create a new one.

Rotating a Key

When you rotate an API key, PulseAPI generates a new token and immediately invalidates the old one. Any integrations using the old token will fail until updated with the new token.

See Rotating an API Key.

Deleting a Key

Deleting an API key immediately revokes access. Any integration using that key will fail immediately.

See Deleting an API Key.

Security Best Practices

  • Give each key a descriptive name that identifies its purpose (e.g., "CI/CD Pipeline", "Dashboard Widget", "Zapier Integration")
  • Never commit API keys to version control — use environment variables or secrets managers
  • Rotate keys periodically and immediately if you suspect a key has been compromised
  • Use the minimum permissions needed for each key's use case

Related Articles

Still have questions? Contact support.

    • Related Articles

    • Creating an API Key

      This article explains how to create a new API key for programmatic access to the PulseAPI REST API. Prerequisites: API access requires a Starter, Professional, or Team plan. Steps In the left sidebar, click Settings. Click the API Keys tab. Click ...

    • Deleting an API Key

      Deleting an API key immediately and permanently revokes it. Any system using the deleted key will fail to authenticate. Steps In the left sidebar, click Settings. Click the API Keys tab. Find the key you want to delete. Click the ... menu → Delete. ...

    • Rotating an API Key

      Rotating an API key generates a new token and immediately invalidates the old one. Use rotation when you suspect a key has been compromised, as part of a regular security rotation schedule, or when handing off access to a new system. Steps In the ...

    • Changing Your Password

      This article explains how to change your PulseAPI account password. Prerequisites: You'll need to know your current password. If you've forgotten it, use the password reset flow instead. Steps In the left sidebar, click Settings. Click the Profile ...

    • Deleting Your Account

      Deleting your account permanently removes your PulseAPI user account and all personal data. This is separate from canceling a subscription or deleting a team. Warning: Account deletion is irreversible. There is no grace period or recovery option. ...