API Keys

Overview

API keys authenticate requests to your collections. Each key can be configured with:

Type - Live (production) or Test (development)
Domain Whitelist - Restrict which domains can use the key
Rate Limit - Maximum requests per minute

Key Types

Live Keys

Use live keys (pk_live_*) for production websites:

Access production data
Strict domain validation
Usage tracked for billing

Test Keys

Use test keys (pk_test_*) for development:

Access same data as live keys
Relaxed domain validation (localhost allowed)
Useful for local development

Creating API Keys

Go to your Dashboard
Navigate to API Keys
Click Create API Key
Configure:
- Name - Descriptive name (e.g., "Production Website")
- Type - Live or Test
- Allowed Domains - Comma-separated list
- Rate Limit - Requests per minute

Domain Whitelisting

Specify which domains can use each API key:

dbindly.com
www.dbindly.com
app.dbindly.com

Wildcard Patterns

You can use wildcards for subdomains:

*.dbindly.com

Development Domains

For test keys, these are automatically allowed:

localhost
127.0.0.1
*.local

Rate Limits

Configure how many requests each key can make per minute:

Plan	Default Limit	Max Limit
Free	100/min	100/min
Pro	1,000/min	10,000/min
Enterprise	10,000/min	100,000/min

Handling Rate Limits

When rate limited, the API returns:

{
  "error": "Too Many Requests",
  "message": "Rate limit exceeded. Try again in 60 seconds."
}

DBindly automatically retries with exponential backoff.

Security Best Practices

Keep Keys Secret

Never commit API keys to version control
Use environment variables in build tools
Don't expose keys in client-side code (use DBindly instead)

Use Domain Restrictions

Always specify allowed domains for live keys
Use specific domains, not wildcards in production

Rotate Keys Regularly

Create new keys periodically
Delete old keys after transitioning

Monitor Usage

Check the dashboard for unusual activity
Set up alerts for rate limit warnings

Using API Keys

With DBindly

DBindly.init({
  apiUrl: 'https://dbindly.com/api',
  apiKey: 'pk_live_your_key'
});

Direct API Calls

curl -H "X-API-Key: pk_live_your_key" \
  https://dbindly.com/api/public/data/your-data-id

In Environment Variables

# .env
DBINDLY_API_KEY=pk_live_your_key

Managing Keys

View All Keys

Go to Dashboard → API Keys to see all your keys with:

Key name and type
Masked key value
Created date
Last used date
Request count

Copy Key

Click the copy button to copy the full key value. Keys are only shown in full once when created.

Delete Key

Find the key in the list
Click the delete button
Confirm deletion

Deleted keys are immediately invalidated.

Troubleshooting

"Invalid API key"

Check the key is copied correctly
Verify the key hasn't been deleted
Ensure you're using the right environment (live vs test)

"Domain not allowed"

Add your domain to the key's whitelist
Check for typos in domain names
Remember to include both root and www versions

"Rate limit exceeded"

Wait for the reset period
Reduce request frequency
Upgrade your plan for higher limits
Enable caching in DBindly

Next Steps

API Endpoints - Available endpoints
Configuration - Configure caching and retries