Choose your credential
Use a project API key for application integrations. Requests use an Authorization header:
curl https://api.sendpanda.email/v1/usage \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $SENDPANDA_API_KEY"
Choose Send emails (send) for your application server: submit/cancel emails, read delivery history and usage, and invoke gated template test sends. It cannot manage resources. Choose Manage project (full) for trusted server administration of domains, templates, webhooks, suppressions and keys. Emails and project resources stay restricted to their project; usage and suppression lists are shared across its account. Neither key can change account membership, bypass review or raise quotas. Creating/renaming/deleting projects requires a verified owner/admin session. Projects with resources or history cannot be deleted.
Keep keys on your server
Store your key in a server environment variable named SENDPANDA_API_KEY. Never use a NEXT_PUBLIC_ variable, embed it in browser JavaScript, put it in a URL or commit it to source control. The full secret is shown only when created.
Create separate keys for development, production and each integration. Revoke unused keys in the project's API keys screen. To replace a key, create the replacement, deploy it to your server, verify the integration, then revoke the old key.
Access tokens and sessions
An access token acts as the signed-in member across projects they can access. Use it with the CLI or MCP, rather than as an application sending credential. Tokens expire and can be revoked in Settings → Connections.
Dashboard session requests also require X-Project-Id to select a project. Project API keys already carry their project scope. Team roles, mailbox assignments and account safeguards still apply to credentials.
Diagnose access errors
A 401 means credentials are missing, invalid or expired. A 403 means the authenticated credential cannot perform the action, or an account or domain requirement has not been met. Check the key's project and permission before changing your integration.