Add API key management docs by IlyaasK · Pull Request #385 · kernel/docs

IlyaasK · 2026-05-28T19:13:04Z

Summary

Add a Guides page for creating, scoping, inspecting, renaming, deleting, and rotating API keys through the SDKs
Add CLI reference docs for kernel api-keys
Move API Keys into the Intermediate Guides sidebar and wire API Keys into CLI navigation
Update Projects and CLI auth docs to point to the API key docs

Validation

python3 -m json.tool docs.json
git diff --check
Content check: removed CLI, REST, and SDK-version guidance from info/api-keys.mdx

Note

Low Risk
Documentation-only changes with no runtime, auth, or API behavior modifications.

Overview
Adds API key management documentation across Guides and CLI reference, with navigation wired so discoverability matches Projects and auth flows.

A new Intermediate guide at info/api-keys.mdx documents SDK workflows for creating, listing, updating, and deleting keys; org vs project scope via project_id; one-time plaintext key handling; rotation steps; and a troubleshooting table. A new reference/cli/api-keys.mdx documents kernel api-keys create/list/get/update/delete, flags (including --project-id vs global --project), aliases, and JSON output.

docs.json adds info/api-keys under Intermediate Guides and reference/cli/api-keys on the CLI tab. info/projects.mdx expands how to create project-scoped keys (dashboard, CLI, SDK, guide). reference/cli.mdx adds an API Keys card; reference/cli/auth.mdx links to CLI api-keys and uses a concrete KERNEL_API_KEY example.

^{Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit 6073fb7. Bugbot is set up for automated code reviews on this repo. Configure here.}

firetiger-agent · 2026-05-28T19:13:24Z

Firetiger deploy monitoring skipped

This PR didn't match the auto-monitor filter configured on your GitHub connection:

Any PR that changes the kernel API. Monitor changes to API endpoints (packages/api/cmd/api/) and Temporal workflows (packages/api/lib/temporal) in the kernel repo

Reason: PR only modifies documentation files (guides, CLI reference, sidebar navigation) with no changes to API endpoints or Temporal workflows.

To monitor this PR anyway, reply with @firetiger monitor this.

mintlify · 2026-05-28T19:14:23Z

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ehfeng

Should this belong in "Basics"? It feels more Intermediate, as most people won't need to read these docs in order to get Kernel working for them. This feels more "Kernel is deployed, here's how you managed keys"

ehfeng · 2026-05-28T20:03:00Z

+4. Verify the workload can call Kernel.
+5. Delete the old API key.
+
+This keeps downtime low because the old key continues working until the new key is active everywhere.


Unnecessary

juecd

Thanks! Agree w/ Eric's changes, and I left a couple too.

juecd · 2026-05-29T15:20:37Z

+
+Use the CLI when you're creating a key from your terminal. Use the SDK or REST API when your backend needs to provision keys for environments, customers, or automation jobs.
+
+### CLI


IMO we don't need a dedicated CLI section, we don't do this for any other guides. Just remove this entirely and only describe the SDK methods

juecd · 2026-05-29T15:21:04Z

+```
+</CodeGroup>
+
+### REST API


Remove the REST API section, only keep SDKs

juecd · 2026-05-29T15:21:54Z

+
+- Use `kernel login` for CLI-based creation.
+- Use `KERNEL_API_KEY` for SDK or REST-based creation.
+- Use `@onkernel/sdk>=0.58.0` or `kernel>=0.58.0` for SDK API key methods.


Remove this - we never mention specific versions in our guides.

Co-authored-by: Eric Feng <ehfeng@users.noreply.github.com>

cursor

Risk assessment: Very Low

Evidence from the diff: this PR only adds/updates documentation pages and Mintlify navigation entries (docs.json, info/*.mdx, and reference/cli*.mdx). It doesn't modify executable code, auth/permission enforcement, infrastructure, schemas, or shared runtime behavior. I found no CODEOWNERS file in the repo and no existing approval on the PR, so approving under the Very Low risk rule.

_{Sent by Cursor Automation: Assign PR reviewers}

cursor

Cursor Bugbot has reviewed your changes and found 1 potential issue.

^{❌ Bugbot Autofix is OFF. To automatically fix reported issues with cloud agents, enable autofix in the Cursor dashboard.}

^{Reviewed by Cursor Bugbot for commit 3eca23f. Configure here.}

cursor

Risk assessment: Very Low

Evidence from the current diff: changes are limited to documentation pages and Mintlify navigation entries (docs.json, info/api-keys.mdx, info/projects.mdx, reference/cli.mdx, reference/cli/api-keys.mdx, and reference/cli/auth.mdx). There are no executable code, schema, auth/permission enforcement, infrastructure, or shared runtime changes.

I also re-checked the update since the previous automation approval: it only moves the API keys page placement in navigation and trims/edits the new docs page, so the risk level has not increased. The PR already has an approval from this automation, so I’m leaving the existing approval in place and not re-approving.

_{Sent by Cursor Automation: Assign PR reviewers}

IlyaasK · 2026-05-29T15:57:07Z

Should this belong in "Basics"? It feels more Intermediate, as most people won't need to read these docs in order to get Kernel working for them. This feels more "Kernel is deployed, here's how you managed keys"

i have put them under Guides -> Working with your browser -> Intermediate -> after the Auth subgroup, before File I/O

cursor

Risk assessment: Very Low

Evidence from the current diff: the PR only updates Mintlify navigation and MDX documentation pages (docs.json, info/api-keys.mdx, info/projects.mdx, reference/cli.mdx, reference/cli/api-keys.mdx, and reference/cli/auth.mdx). It doesn't modify executable code, auth or permission enforcement, infrastructure, schemas, or shared runtime behavior.

I re-checked the synchronize update after the prior automation approval and the effective PR diff remains documentation-only, so the risk level has not increased. I found no CODEOWNERS file in the repo. Because this PR already has an approval from this automation, I'm leaving that approval in place and not re-approving.

_{Sent by Cursor Automation: Assign PR reviewers}

juecd

💯 Thanks Ilyaas!

IlyaasK · 2026-05-29T20:05:21Z

💯 Thanks Ilyaas!

Thank you!

docs: add API key management guides

383b4d8

mintlify Bot deployed to staging May 28, 2026 19:15 View deployment

cursor Bot reviewed May 28, 2026

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Comment thread info/api-keys.mdx Outdated

docs: link API key guide to CLI reference

cd302a5

mintlify Bot deployed to staging May 28, 2026 19:23 View deployment

ehfeng requested changes May 28, 2026

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IlyaasK requested a review from juecd May 29, 2026 15:15

juecd requested changes May 29, 2026

View reviewed changes

Update info/api-keys.mdx

3eca23f

Co-authored-by: Eric Feng <ehfeng@users.noreply.github.com>

mintlify Bot deployed to staging May 29, 2026 15:45 View deployment

cursor Bot approved these changes May 29, 2026

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cursor Bot reviewed May 29, 2026

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Comment thread info/api-keys.mdx Outdated

Address API key docs review feedback

f975c57

mintlify Bot deployed to staging May 29, 2026 15:53 View deployment

cursor Bot reviewed May 29, 2026

View reviewed changes

IlyaasK requested review from ehfeng and juecd May 29, 2026 16:00

Merge branch 'main' into codex/api-key-management-docs

6073fb7

mintlify Bot deployed to staging May 29, 2026 17:03 View deployment

cursor Bot reviewed May 29, 2026

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ehfeng approved these changes May 29, 2026

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juecd approved these changes May 29, 2026

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IlyaasK merged commit 276d820 into main May 29, 2026
4 checks passed

IlyaasK deleted the codex/api-key-management-docs branch May 29, 2026 20:05


		Use the CLI when you're creating a key from your terminal. Use the SDK or REST API when your backend needs to provision keys for environments, customers, or automation jobs.

		### CLI

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IlyaasK commented May 28, 2026 •

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