API Keys
Generate, use, and rotate Renderly API keys. Bearer-token authentication with the rnd_ prefix.
Every request to the Renderly API authenticates with a Bearer token. Keys are scoped to a single user account and inherit that account's credit balance.
Generate a key
- Sign in to the dashboard at renderly.video.
- Go to Settings → API Keys.
- Click Generate Key.
The key is shown only once at creation. Copy it immediately and store it in a secrets manager. If you lose it, generate a new one — there's no recovery flow.
Keys always start with the rnd_ prefix so they're easy to spot in logs and scrub from output.
Authenticate a request
Send the key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header:
curl https://renderly.video/api/v1/auth/verify \
-X POST \
-H "Authorization: Bearer rnd_your_api_key_here"Successful response:
{
"success": true,
"data": {
"userId": "clx...",
"email": "you@example.com",
"name": "You",
"credits": 950,
"apiKeyPrefix": "rnd_12345678...",
"apiKeyCreatedAt": "2026-01-15T10:00:00Z",
"apiKeyLastUsed": "2026-05-16T12:30:00Z"
}
}POST /auth/verify is the cheapest way to confirm a key is valid — use it in your service's startup health-check.
Key handling rules
- Never commit a key to source control. Use environment variables or a secret manager.
- Never expose a key in client-side code. Renderly's API is server-to-server. If you need to trigger renders from a browser, put a thin proxy in front.
- Rotate when an employee leaves or a key may have leaked. Generate a new one, deploy it, then revoke the old key in the dashboard.
Error responses
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
401 Unauthorized | Header missing, malformed, or key revoked/never existed. |
402 Payment Required | Key is valid but the account is out of credits. The response includes creditsNeeded, creditsAvailable, and creditsShort. |
403 Forbidden | Key is valid but doesn't have permission for the target resource (e.g. another user's project). |
All errors follow the same shape:
{
"success": false,
"error": "Invalid API key",
"details": "..."
}What a key can do
A key inherits everything its user account can do:
- Create render jobs (
POST /renders) - Read jobs the user owns (
GET /renders/{jobId}) - Upload media to the user's storage (
POST /uploads) - List public templates and the user's projects
- Register and manage webhooks
- Read account info and credit balance
A key cannot access another user's projects, templates the user hasn't created or purchased, or admin-only endpoints.