API access tokens
Read time: 4 minutes
Last edited: Sep 19, 2024
Overview
This topic explains how to use API access tokens to authenticate with the LaunchDarkly REST API, as well as constraints and suggestions for implementing them.
Only you have access the secret values of tokens you create. Other account members cannot access them. Administrators can delete your tokens, but cannot view their values.
Scope personal API access tokens
You can scope your API tokens to restrict the set of operations they can perform. For example, you can build an integration that only has read access to the REST API.
The available scoping options are:
- Built-in roles: Gives a token the same permissions as a Reader, Writer, or Admin.
- Custom roles: Gives a token the same permissions as one of your team's existing custom roles. This option is only available if the LaunchDarkly plan you subscribe to includes custom roles.
- In-line custom roles: Gives a token a custom set of permissions in-line, rather than specifying it as an existing custom role. This option is only available if the LaunchDarkly plan you subscribe to includes custom roles.
API access tokens are secrets. If you share your access token with others, they may be able to use it to impersonate you, or perform actions with it that could later be attributed to you or your integration erroneously.
You can also use the REST API: Access tokens
Access token permissions
As a best practice, we recommend giving your tokens the smallest scope required for your integration. For example, if your integration is not designed to modify your Production environment, use a custom role or inline policy to restrict access appropriately.
If you use custom roles to scope your access tokens, modifying the permissions of the custom roles will also modify the permissions of related tokens.
There are two types of tokens you can create in LaunchDarkly. You can create a personal token, which is linked to an account member's account, or a service token, which is independent of the account that created it.
The different token types respond differently when their creators' permissions change. Because of this, you may want to use different types of tokens for different things.
Personal tokens
You can configure a personal access token to have the same permissions that you do, or more restrictive permissions. Your personal tokens can never do more than you can in LaunchDarkly.
If your own permissions are ever reduced, personal tokens you have created have reduced scope as well. For example, if you are a Writer and create a Writer token, but then are downgraded to a Reader, your Writer token is also downgraded. After your permissions change, that token behaves like a Reader token.
If an account member with personal access tokens is removed from your LaunchDarkly team, their personal tokens are deactivated.
Use a personal token when you want to access the LaunchDarkly API for your temporary or personal use.
Service tokens
Service tokens are available to customers on an Enterprise plan. To learn more, read about our pricing. To upgrade your plan, contact Sales.
Unlike personal tokens, service tokens are not tied to your LaunchDarkly profile. You can assign an existing role to a service token, or create a custom role for it to use, but you can never give a service token more permissions than you have.
A service token's permissions are permanently fixed after you create it. You cannot edit the permissions of a service token, and even if your permissions change, the service token's permissions stay the same.
Use a service token to create long-term integrations with the LaunchDarkly API.
Restricting who can create and manage API access tokens
By default, all account members can create access tokens limited to their existing permissions. Account members with a Reader role can only create tokens with a Reader role, whereas account members with an Owner or Admin role can create tokens with any permission level.
You can restrict account members from creating or managing access tokens with custom roles.
To learn more, read Actions in custom roles.