---
title: "Create a system API key"
method: POST
path: "/v1/system/api_keys"
tags: ["api_keys"]
---

# Create a system API key

`POST /v1/system/api_keys`

Create a system API key. System keys belong to the system user rather than to any human, and they carry full privileges, so this endpoint is restricted to admins. The response contains the key itself, which is shown only once and cannot be retrieved afterwards.

## Request body

- CreateApiKeyRequestBody
  - `data` ApiKeyData, required
    - `name` string, required — A human-readable name for the API key.
    - `description` string, nullable — An optional description of what the API key is for.
    - `expires_at` string, date-time, nullable — When the API key expires. The key never expires when omitted.

## Response `201`

The newly created system API key, including the key itself.

- CreateApiKeyResponseBody
  - `data` CreatedApiKey, required
    - `id` string, required
    - `name` string, required
    - `description` string, nullable
    - `created_at` string, date-time, required
    - `expires_at` string, date-time, nullable
    - `key` string, required — The API key. This is the only time it is returned; it cannot be recovered from the listing endpoints.

## Other responses

- `401` — Unauthorized
- `403` — Forbidden
- `422` — Unprocessable Entity
- `507` — Insufficient Storage

## Changes

- **2026-07-14** `a577c4cd0974` — 1 info
  - endpoint added
- **2026-04-29** `c81391216eb5` — 1 breaking
  - api path removed without deprecation

[Change history](https://skmtc.dev/arize-ai/apis/arize-phoenix-rest-api/changes/v1/system/api_keys/post.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/arize-ai/apis/arize-phoenix-rest-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/arize-ai/apis/arize-phoenix-rest-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/arize-ai/arize-phoenix-rest-api/revisions/a577c4cd0974/schema)