Authentication & API Keys

Authenticate Kilo IoT API requests with scoped keys — X-API-Key and X-Organization-Id headers, per-integration keys.

Every API request — REST or gRPC — is authenticated with a scoped API key. Create, scope, rotate, and revoke keys in Settings → API Keys; this page covers how requests authenticate.

How requests authenticate

• X-API-Key — your API key (format kilo_<key>). Send it on every request.

• X-Organization-Id — the organization the request acts in. It must match the organization the key was created in. Some operations also accept the organization as an organizationId query parameter instead of the header.

All requests are over TLS.

Scopes

Keys are scoped. Most areas have separate Read and Write scopes; some — such as telemetry and subscription data — are read-only. A key grants only what you select when you create it, so grant only the scopes the integration needs. Each endpoint in the API reference lists the scope it requires.

The Create API Key dialog asks for a name, an optional expiry date, and the scopes themselves — every scope starts unchecked, so a key grants nothing until you say so.

Handling keys safely

• The full key value is shown once at creation; only a short prefix is visible afterward. Store it immediately in a secrets manager or vault.

• Use a separate key per integration so one can be revoked without disrupting the others.

• Rotate or revoke a key immediately if it may be exposed; rotation is the only recovery path for a lost key.

• Never embed a key in client-side code or commit it to source control.