API Keys
API Keys
API Keys allow programmatic access to the Partite Mesh configuration and runtime APIs. They are the primary authentication mechanism for scripts, servers, Server Initiated HTTP MCP tool implementations, CI pipelines and Terraform.
Components
An API Key consists of two parts:
| Component | Description |
|---|---|
| Key ID | A stable identifier for the key. This is shown in the UI and returned by configuration APIs. |
| Key Secret | A randomly generated secret value. The raw secret is shown ONLY at creation time; thereafter only a hash is stored. |
The combination of Key ID and Key Secret must be supplied by clients to authenticate. Treat the Key Secret values as sensitive credentials. Key ID is not sensitive.
Permissions
Each key is assigned one or more scoped permissions. Using least privilege helps reduce risk if a key is leaked.
| Permission | Scope / Use Case |
|---|---|
| Read Configuration | Read meshes, agents, model sets, MCP connections and other config objects (GraphQL). |
| Write Configuration | Create / edit / delete configuration entities. |
| Converse | Invoke inference (Conversation REST API). Needed for applications calling /conversations/... endpoints. |
| Trace | Fetch detailed trace / observability data for conversations. Needed for analytics or replay tooling. |
| Access MCP Connection | Allow a Server Initiated HTTP tool server to connect and fetch queued tasks for either a specific connection or all connections. |
If a key will be used by a Server Initiated HTTP MCP server, it MUST include the Access MCP Connection permission for the relevant connection(s).
Related
- MCP Connections – may require Access MCP Connection.
- Meshes – runtime inference targets.
- Agents – permissions influence which agents can be invoked.