API keys let your monitoring tools send alerts into Phoenix Alerts. Each key authenticates requests to the Phoenix Alerts API, so you can connect tools like Sentry and Datadog, or your own scripts.

There are three key types:

Ingest key – sends alerts in. Use this one for Sentry, Datadog, and other monitoring tools.
Management key – lets scripts change your account setup through the API.
Read-only key – lets a dashboard or report read your alerts. It cannot send, acknowledge, resolve, or change anything.

🔑 Creating a key

Go to Configuration → API Keys and select Create API Key. Give it a name, such as "Datadog production", so you can tell your keys apart. Then choose the key type: Ingest key (send alerts), Management key (configure via API), or Read-only key (read alerts). Only an account owner can create keys. The full key is shown once, right after you create it. Copy it then and store it somewhere safe, because it is never shown again. If you lose it, rotate the key to get a new one.

You can keep up to 25 active keys at a time.

📋 What you'll see

Each key in the list shows:

Name – the label you gave it.
Key prefix – the first few non-secret characters, so you can identify a key without exposing it. Ingest keys start with pi_, management keys with pm_, and read-only keys with pr_.
Type – a badge that shows Ingest, Management, or Read-only.
Created – when the key was made.
Last used – when the key last sent a request, or "Never". This helps you spot keys that are no longer in use.

🔄 Rotating and revoking

Rotate – creates a new key and revokes the old one in a single step. Use it if a key may have leaked, or on a regular schedule. You'll see the new key once, so copy it right away.
Revoke – disables a key. Any tool still using it will stop working, so update your integrations first.

An ingest key stops working right away. A revoked or rotated management or read-only key can keep working for up to 5 minutes.

🧰 Connecting your tools

Once you have an ingest key, point your monitoring tools at Phoenix Alerts. Sentry needs an ingest key. For step-by-step setup for Sentry, Datadog, and any other source, see Ingesting Alerts from Your Tools.