> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mcpjam-mintlify-docs-update-pr-2772-1782277917413.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API keys

> Which 'API key' is which in MCPJam — and the one you need to call the MCPJam API.

"API key" gets used for a few different things in MCPJam. The short version:

* To call the **[MCPJam API](/reference/public-api)**, you want the **MCPJam API key** (`sk_…`) — the first one below.
* Two others here are **third-party secrets you supply**, not keys MCPJam issues — they're listed only because the name collides.
* One older key (`mcpjam_…`) is **retired** and no longer works.

## MCPJam API key (`sk_…`)

The key for the **[MCPJam API](/reference/public-api)** — programmatic access to live MCP server diagnostics at `https://app.mcpjam.com/api/v1/...`. This is the one to reach for whenever you mean "the MCPJam API key."

**Where it lives:** [**Settings → API keys**](https://app.mcpjam.com/settings/api-keys) in the hosted app — that link takes you straight to key creation (sign in if prompted; you'll land back on the page). Shown **exactly once** at creation — store it in your own secret manager or an environment variable.

**When it's used:** Every `Authorization: Bearer sk_…` request to `/api/v1/*` — validating servers, running the doctor, listing tools/prompts/resources, reading resources, exporting snapshots, and **saving `@mcpjam/sdk` eval results** (set `MCPJAM_API_KEY` to this key; see [Saving Results](/sdk/concepts/saving-results)).

**Errors you might see**

* `401 UNAUTHORIZED` → invalid or revoked key.
* `401` with `details.reason: "ORPHANED_KEY"` → the key lost its organization binding; create a new one from Settings.
* `403 FORBIDDEN` ("API keys cannot manage other API keys") → you pointed an `sk_…` key at the key-management endpoints; key management is UI-only.
* `429 RATE_LIMITED` → per-key rate limit (60/min, burst 10); honor `Retry-After`.

Full surface in the [MCPJam API reference](/reference/public-api).

## LLM provider key — not an MCPJam key

A secret from an LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, xAI, Groq, Mistral, ...). MCPJam never issues this — it just uses the key you paste in to call that provider on your behalf.

**Where it lives:** **Settings → LLM Providers**.

**When it's used:** Every Playground chat against a provider model that isn't MCPJam's free hosted model.

**Errors:** "Invalid API key for OpenAI / Anthropic / ..." → wrong, expired, or for a different project. ("MCPJam model limit reached" is a [different problem](/troubleshooting/common-errors#mcpjam-model-limit-reached).)

You don't need one to run inspector probes (Tools, Resources, Prompts, OAuth Debugger, conformance) — those only talk to MCP servers.

## Playground BYOK — not an MCPJam key

A per-server bearer token for an HTTP MCP server that requires `Authorization: Bearer ...`. MCPJam forwards it to that one server only; it never authenticates you to MCPJam.

**Where it lives:** **Servers card → Headers field**, or `config.json` under `mcpServers.<name>.headers.Authorization` (e.g. `"Authorization": "Bearer ${MY_SERVER_TOKEN}"`).

**When it's used:** Every request the inspector makes to that MCP server.

**Errors:** [`auth/http_401`](/troubleshooting/error-codes#unauthorized-401), [`auth/http_403`](/troubleshooting/error-codes#forbidden-403) — the target server rejected the token.

## Project API Key (`mcpjam_…`) — retired

<Warning>
  **Retired.** Project API keys no longer work: existing keys no longer authenticate, new keys can't be generated, and the `/sdk/v1/evals/*` ingestion endpoints they protected return `410 Gone` for every request. Eval reporting now runs on the **MCPJam API key (`sk_…`)** through the [MCPJam API](/reference/public-api) — see [Saving Results](/sdk/concepts/saving-results).
</Warning>

This was a project-scoped token for `@mcpjam/sdk` / CLI traffic to the hosted backend, read from the `MCPJAM_API_KEY` environment variable. If your CI logs show `410` reporting errors, this retirement is why. **To fix CI:** upgrade `@mcpjam/sdk`, replace the `MCPJAM_API_KEY` value with an `sk_…` key from [Settings → API keys](https://app.mcpjam.com/settings/api-keys), and (optionally) set `MCPJAM_PROJECT_ID` to keep filing results under the same project — otherwise they land in your org's Default project. Old SDK versions' default auto-save path warns and continues, so eval runs themselves keep passing either way.

## Quick reference

| Key                | Format            | Issued by                                                       | Use it for                                            |
| ------------------ | ----------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **MCPJam API key** | `sk_…`            | [Settings → API keys](https://app.mcpjam.com/settings/api-keys) | The [MCPJam API](/reference/public-api) (`/api/v1/*`) |
| LLM provider key   | provider-specific | the LLM provider                                                | Playground chat — *third-party*                       |
| Playground BYOK    | server-specific   | your MCP server                                                 | Authenticating to one MCP server — *third-party*      |
| Project API Key    | `mcpjam_…`        | — (no longer issued)                                            | **Retired** — no longer works                         |