**Access Keys** are authentication tokens used to securely access your project’s APIs. They allow your applications or services to interact with the platform without exposing sensitive user credentials.

## Key Benefits
- **Secure Access**: access keys are tied to specific projects and can be scoped to restrict access to only the necessary endpoints or actions.
- **Environment Isolation**: Generate different keys for different environments (e.g., development, staging, production) to prevent accidental cross-environment interactions.
- **Easy Integration**: Include access keys in your requests to authenticate seamlessly with our APIs.

## Best Practices
- **Keep Keys Secret**: Never expose your keys in client-side code or public repositories.
- **Rotate Regularly**: Periodically regenerate your access keys to reduce the risk of misuse.
- **Use Read/Write Scopes Wisely**: Assign the minimum required permissions to each key.

## Common Use Cases
- Connecting backend services to your content pipeline.
- Authenticating webhook requests.
- Automating content creation or updates via scripts or CI/CD pipelines.

## How to Create an Access Key

To generate an access key for your project, follow these steps:

1. **Log in to your Customer Dashboard**
Start by signing in to your account via the [Customer Dashboard](https://dash.dumgum.ai).

2. **Navigate to the “Access Keys” Section**
In the sidebar menu, locate and click on **“Access Keys”**. This section lists all the existing keys associated with your projects.

3. **Click “Create an Access Key”**
At the top of the page, click the **“Create an access key”** button. A dialog will appear where you can configure the new key.

4. **Configure the Key**
    - **Name** your key for easy identification.

5. **Save and Copy Your Key**
Once the key is created, make sure to copy it and store it in a secure location. For security reasons, this is the only time the full key will be visible.

<Warning>**Important:** Never share your access key publicly or include it in client-side code. Treat it like a password.</Warning>