API Keys Guide

API keys allow you to programmatically access the Explorable Research API from scripts, notebooks, or external applications.

Overview

API keys provide an alternative authentication method to browser-based sessions. They enable:

Programmatic Access
Access your data from scripts, Jupyter notebooks, or automation tools
Integration
Connect third-party tools and services to your Explorable Research account
Automation
Build workflows and integrations without manual login

Security

Treat your API keys like passwords

• Never share them publicly or commit them to version control
• Do not expose them in client-side code
• Rotate keys if you suspect they have been compromised
• Revoke unused keys

API keys provide the same access level as your logged-in session. Any action you can perform in the UI can be performed with your API key.

Creating API Keys

1
Navigate to API Keys
Go to Profile → API Keys (or go directly to /profile/api-keys)
2
Click “Create API Key”
3
Enter a descriptive name
Examples: “Jupyter Notebook”, “CI/CD Pipeline”, “Production Server”
4
Click “Create Key”
5
Copy the key immediately
The full key will not be shown again for security reasons.

Create API Key

Using API Keys

Include your API key in the x-api-key header of your HTTP requests:

cURL

curl -X GET "https://explorableresearch.com/api/projects" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Python

import requests

API_KEY = "your_api_key_here"
BASE_URL = "https://explorableresearch.com"

headers = {
    "x-api-key": API_KEY,
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

# List your projects
response = requests.get(f"{BASE_URL}/api/projects", headers=headers)
projects = response.json()
print(projects)

JavaScript / TypeScript

const API_KEY = "your_api_key_here";
const BASE_URL = "https://explorableresearch.com";

async function listProjects() {
  const response = await fetch(`${BASE_URL}/api/projects`, {
    headers: {
      "x-api-key": API_KEY,
    },
  });
  return response.json();
}

API Endpoints

All endpoints that support JWT authentication also support API key authentication:

Method	Endpoint	Description
`GET`	/api/projects	List your projects
`POST`	/api/projects	Create a new project
`GET`	/api/projects/:id	Get a specific project
`DELETE`	/api/projects/:id	Delete a project

See the full API reference for detailed documentation.

Managing API Keys

Viewing Keys

Go to Profile → API Keys to see all your active keys. The list shows:

Key name
Partial key prefix (first 8 characters)
Creation date
Last used timestamp

Rotating Keys

If you need to update a key (e.g., suspected compromise):

Click the rotate icon next to the key
Confirm the rotation
Copy the new key (the old key is immediately invalidated)
Update your applications with the new key

Revoking Keys

To permanently disable a key:

Click the trash icon next to the key
Confirm the revocation
The key is immediately invalidated

Note: Revocation cannot be undone. You'll need to create a new key if you revoked one by mistake.

Best Practices

1
Use descriptive names
Name keys by their use case (e.g., “Production Server”, “Local Development”)
2
One key per application
Create separate keys for different integrations
3
Regular rotation
Periodically rotate keys as a security measure
4
Environment variables
Store keys in environment variables, not in code
5
Limit exposure
Only grant API access where necessary

Troubleshooting

“Unauthorized” Error

• Verify the API key is correct and not revoked
• Ensure the key is sent in the x-api-key header (not Authorization)
• Check that your key hasn't expired

“Invalid API key format” Error

• Ensure you're using the complete key (including the prefix)
• The key should be a long string (160+ characters)

Rate Limits

Currently, API key requests have the same rate limits as regular authenticated requests. Contact support if you need higher limits for your use case.

Support

If you encounter issues with API keys, please:

Check this documentation first
Review the troubleshooting section
Open an issue on GitHub with your key ID (not the full key) and error messages