> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.nops.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> Authenticate Public API requests with nOps API keys

# Authentication

All `/v1` requests require an nOps API key in the `Authorization` header:

```http theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark"}}
Authorization: Bearer <api_key>
```

## Creating keys

1. Sign in to nOps as an organization admin on **Inform + Operate**.
2. Open **Settings → Security → API Keys**.
3. Create a key and assign the permissions your integration needs.
4. Copy the key when shown. It is only displayed once.

## Security rules

* Keys are **never** accepted in query parameters.
* Session cookies are **not** used on `/v1`. Auth is header-only.
* Keys are scoped to your nOps organization and cannot be used across tenants.

## Scopes

| Scope | Access |
| - | - |
| `cost:read` | Explorer / cost queries |
| `reports:read` / `reports:write` | Saved reports |
| `budgets:read` / `budgets:write` | Budgets and alerts |
| `recommendations:read` | Recommendations list |
| `anomalies:read` | Cost anomalies |
| `feed:read` | Feed runs |
| `scheduled-prompts:read` / `scheduled-prompts:write` | Scheduled prompts |
| `notifications:read` / `notifications:write` | Notification schedules |
| `commitments:read` | Commitments (reserved; endpoint returns `501` until released) |
| `cost-allocation:read` / `cost-allocation:write` | Cost Allocation showbacks, rules, and spend analytics |
| `explorer-dashboards:read` / `explorer-dashboards:write` | Explorer dashboards |
| `ai-optimization:read` / `ai-optimization:write` | AI Optimization default dashboard and anomalies |
| `seat-tracking:read` | AI seat tracking projects, seats, limits, requests, automation, and analytics |
| `seat-tracking:write` | AI seat limits, rebalance policies, limit-request decisions, and reviewer/notify settings |
| `map-manager:read` / `map-manager:write` | MAP Manager projects, resources, and accounts |
| `business-unit-economics:read` / `business-unit-economics:write` | Business Unit Economics models, units, items, and reports |
| `contract-tracker:read` / `contract-tracker:write` | Contract Tracker contracts and burndown |
| `telemetry:write` | Send OpenTelemetry data to `api.nops.io/otel`. See [Send OpenTelemetry data to nOps](/telemetry/opentelemetry) |
| `mcp:read` | MCP read access (Clara agent / internal-envelope surface) |
| `mcp:write` | MCP write access: requires `mcp:read` as well for mutating endpoints |

When creating an API key, assign the permissions your integration needs in **Settings → Security → API Keys**. `mcp:read` and `mcp:write` gate the Clara MCP agent surface; they do not authorize API-key `/v1` calls. Use the granular scopes above for programmatic API access.


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