> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://flatfileinc-remove-rss-json.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API Keys

> use API keys to authenticate API requests

<Snippet file="shared/dxpbanner.mdx" />

<Info>
  API keys are created automatically. Use the [Developers
  Page](https://platform.flatfile.com/developers) to reveal your API keys for
  each Environment.
</Info>

Flatfile provides two different kinds of environment-specific API keys you can
use to interact with the API. In addition, you can work with a development key
or a production environment.

Read on to learn more about how to think about which keys to use and how to test
in development mode.

## Testing and development

<Tooltip tip="Learn more about Environments">[Environments](/learning-center/architecture/environments)</Tooltip> are isolated entities and are intended to be a safe place to create and
test different configurations. A `development` and `production` environment are created
by default.

| isProd  | Name          | Description                                                                                 |
| ------- | ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| *false* | `development` | Use this default environment, and its associated test API keys, as you build with Flatfile. |
| *true*  | `production`  | When you're ready to launch, create a new environment and swap out your keys.               |

<Note>
  The development environment does not count towards your paid credits.
</Note>

## Secret and publishable keys

All Accounts have two key types for each environment. Learn when to use each
type of key:

| Type            | Id                     | Description                                                                                                             |
| --------------- | ---------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Secret key      | `sk_23ghsyuyshs7dcrty` | **On the server-side:** Store this securely in your server-side code. Don’t expose this key in an application.          |
| Publishable key | `pk_23ghsyuyshs7dcert` | **On the client-side:** Can be publicly-accessible in your application's client-side code. Use when embedding Flatfile. |

<Note>
  The `accessToken` provided from `publishableKey` will remain valid for a
  duration of 24 hours.
</Note>