Authentication

Authenticate

Read BOLTZ_API_KEY from your environment and pass it to your client. For the CLI, sign in with boltz-api auth login. For coding agents, device-code login is usually the most reliable because it does not require the agent sandbox to open a browser.

Scientist Python

import os
from boltz_api import Boltz

client = Boltz(api_key=os.environ["BOLTZ_API_KEY"])

Scientist CLI

boltz-api auth login

Platform Developer Python

import os
from boltz_api import Boltz

client = Boltz(api_key=os.environ["BOLTZ_API_KEY"])

Platform Developer Typescript

import Boltz from "boltz-api";

const apiKey = process.env["BOLTZ_API_KEY"];

const client = new Boltz({ apiKey });

Agent CLI

boltz-api auth login --device-code
boltz-api auth status

Or provide an API key where the agent runtime can read it:

export BOLTZ_COMPUTE_API_KEY="your-api-key"

Choose the right key type

There are two types of API keys. Which one you use depends on what you need to do.

If you need to manage workspaces or query usage

Use an admin key. Admin keys are scoped to the organization level and can:

• Create, list, and update workspaces
• Manage API keys for any workspace
• Run jobs across the organization
• Query usage data across the organization

For job endpoints that accept workspace_id, an admin key can target any non-archived workspace in the organization. If workspace_id is omitted, the request uses the default workspace.

If you only need to run jobs

Use a workspace key. Workspace keys are scoped to a single workspace and can only run jobs (predictions, design runs, library screens) on that workspace. If workspace_id is provided, it must match the workspace assigned to the key.

Key scoping summary

Capability	Admin key	Workspace key
Manage workspaces	Yes	No
Manage API keys	Yes	No
Run jobs	Any workspace in the organization; defaults to the default workspace when workspace_id is omitted	Scoped workspace only
Query usage	Yes	No

Key prefixes

Each key type has a distinct prefix so you can identify it at a glance:

Prefix	Key type
sk_bc_admin_live_	Admin key (live)
sk_bc_admin_test_	Admin key (test)
sk_bc_ws_live_	Workspace key (live)
sk_bc_ws_test_	Workspace key (test)

The full key is shown only once — at creation time. After that, use the key_prefix field on the API key resource to identify which key you’re looking at.

See Organizations & Workspaces for more on how workspaces and keys relate.