> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://unkey.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Unkey is two separate products. Compute builds, deploys, and runs apps behind a gateway. API Management issues API keys, enforces rate limits, manages identities and permissions, and reports usage. Say which product a page belongs to; a reader can use either without the other.
> Every Unkey API endpoint is an HTTP POST to https://api.unkey.com/v2/{service}.{procedure} with a root key in the Authorization: Bearer header. Root keys are workspace scoped.
> Error codes have the form err:{system}:{category}:{specific} and each has a page at /errors/{system}/{category}/{specific}.
> The word environment means production or preview in Compute. Rate limiting has four meanings on this site; the glossary lists them.

# unkey api keys add-roles

> Assign extra roles to a key without removing the ones it has.

<Note>
  You need a root key with the permissions listed on this page. Create one in the dashboard under **Settings > Root Keys**. See [Permission reference](/docs/platform/root-keys/permissions-legacy) for every permission.
</Note>

Add roles to a key. Existing roles and direct permissions are kept. Each role must already exist. Changes can take up to about 10 seconds to apply. Calls `POST /v2/keys.addRoles`. See [Managing key permissions](/docs/api-management/authorization/managing-key-permissions).

## Usage

```bash theme={"system"}
unkey api keys add-roles --key-id=<key id> --roles=<roles> [flags]
```

## Flags

<ParamField body="--key-id" type="string" required>
  Id of the key.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--roles" type="string[]" required>
  Comma-separated role names to add.
</ParamField>

### Shared flags

Every `unkey api` command takes these. See [CLI output and shared flags](/docs/platform/cli/output-and-flags).

<ParamField body="--root-key" type="string">
  Root key used for the request. Falls back to `UNKEY_ROOT_KEY`, then to the key stored by `unkey auth login`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--api-url" type="string" default="https://api.unkey.com">
  Base URL of the API. Falls back to `UNKEY_API_BASE_URL`. You don't normally need to set it.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--config" type="string" default="~/.unkey/config.toml">
  Path of the config file written by `unkey auth login`. Falls back to `UNKEY_CONFIG`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--output" type="string">
  Output format. Falls back to `UNKEY_OUTPUT`. `json` prints the full response. Any other value prints the request ID and `data`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField body="--body" type="string">
  Send this JSON as the whole request body instead of using the command's flags. You can't combine it with them.
</ParamField>

## Required permissions

`api.*.update_key` or `api.<apiId>.update_key` together with `rbac.*.add_role_to_key`. See [Root key permissions](/docs/platform/root-keys/permissions).

## Examples

```bash Add roles theme={"system"}
unkey api keys add-roles --key-id=key_1234abcd --roles=api_admin,billing_reader
```

Or send the whole request as JSON:

```bash Raw body theme={"system"}
unkey api keys add-roles --body='{"keyId":"key_1234abcd","roles":["api_admin","billing_reader"]}'
```