Authentication - ZenVeil

API keys

ZenVeil uses API keys for all programmatic access. Keys look like:

zv_live_a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6q7r8s9t0

Getting your API key

Your key is emailed to you automatically the first time you sign in at zenveil.dev — no extra navigation required. It is shown once and never stored in plaintext; treat it like a password. Lost your key? Go to Dashboard → Settings → API Key → Rotate Key. A new key is generated and emailed immediately. The old key is invalidated at the same instant.

Using your API key

Pass the key in the X-API-Key header on every request:

curl https://api.zenveil.dev/v1/scan/github \
  -H "X-API-Key: zvk_live_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"repository": "owner/repo"}'

Storing keys securely

Never commit API keys to source control. Use environment variables:

# Set in your environment
export ZENVEIL_API_KEY="zvk_live_your_key_here"

# Reference in curl
curl https://api.zenveil.dev/v1/scan/github \
  -H "X-API-Key: $ZENVEIL_API_KEY" \
  ...

In CI/CD, use your platform’s secret management:

# GitHub Actions
- name: Run security scan
  env:
    ZENVEIL_API_KEY: ${{ secrets.ZENVEIL_API_KEY }}
  run: zenveil scan repo .

Key rotation

Rotate your API key if it’s been exposed:

Go to Settings → API Keys in the dashboard
Click Revoke on the compromised key
Generate a new key
Update all integrations and CI/CD secrets

Authentication errors

Error	Cause	Fix
`401 Unauthorized`	Missing or invalid `X-API-Key`	Check that the key is correct and the header is set
`403 Forbidden`	Key exists but lacks permission	Check your plan — some features require Pro/Team
`429 Too Many Requests`	Rate limit exceeded	Wait and retry, or upgrade your plan

Key scope

Each API key is tied to your account and subject to your plan’s rate limits. Keys cannot be scoped to specific repositories or operations — one key grants access to all ZenVeil API endpoints.

​API keys

​Getting your API key

​Using your API key

​Storing keys securely

​Key rotation

​Authentication errors

​Key scope