API Keys

Overview

API keys authenticate your requests to the You.com API. You can create and manage your keys from the API Keys page on the Platform.

Creating an API key

1. Go to you.com/platform/api-keys
2. Click Create API Key
3. Give your key a descriptive name (e.g., “Production”, “Development”)
4. Copy the key immediately — it will only be shown once

Using Your Key in Code

We use YDC_API_KEY as the canonical environment variable name throughout this documentation, our SDKs, and every integration example. Store your key in that variable once, then read it in your code instead of hardcoding the value.

$
export YDC_API_KEY="<YDC_API_KEY>"

Runnable code samples throughout these docs read the key from the YDC_API_KEY environment variable, as shown above. Configuration files and setup snippets use <YDC_API_KEY> as a placeholder for the key value — replace it with your real key.

Viewing and managing keys

The API Keys page shows all your active keys with:

• Key name
• Creation date
• Last used date
• A partially masked key value

You can rename or delete keys from this page at any time.

Rotating and revoking keys

To rotate a key, create a new key, update your applications to use the new key, and then delete the old one.

To revoke a key immediately, click Delete next to the key on the API Keys page. Revoked keys stop working immediately.

Security best practices

• Use environment variables — Store API keys in environment variables, not in your source code. We use YDC_API_KEY as the canonical variable name.
• Never commit keys to version control — Add .env files to your .gitignore.
• Use separate keys for each environment — Create distinct keys for development, staging, and production.
• Rotate keys regularly — Periodically rotate keys to limit the impact of any potential exposure.
• Apply least privilege — Only share keys with team members and services that need them.