POST
/
v2
/
keys.setPermissions
Go (SDK)
package main

import(
	"context"
	"os"
	unkey "github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2"
	"github.com/unkeyed/sdks/api/go/v2/models/components"
	"log"
)

func main() {
    ctx := context.Background()

    s := unkey.New(
        unkey.WithSecurity(os.Getenv("UNKEY_ROOT_KEY")),
    )

    res, err := s.Keys.SetPermissions(ctx, components.V2KeysSetPermissionsRequestBody{
        KeyID: "key_2cGKbMxRyIzhCxo1Idjz8q",
        Permissions: []string{
            "<value 1>",
        },
    })
    if err != nil {
        log.Fatal(err)
    }
    if res.V2KeysSetPermissionsResponseBody != nil {
        // handle response
    }
}
{
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "req_123"
  },
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "perm_1234567890abcdef",
      "name": "users.read",
      "slug": "users-read",
      "description": "Allows reading user profile information and account details"
    }
  ]
}

Authorizations

​
Authorization
string
header
required

Unkey uses API keys (root keys) for authentication. These keys authorize access to management operations in the API. To authenticate, include your root key in the Authorization header of each request:

Authorization: Bearer unkey_123

Root keys have specific permissions attached to them, controlling what operations they can perform. Key permissions follow a hierarchical structure with patterns like resource.resource_id.action (e.g., apis.*.create_key, apis.*.read_api). Security best practices:

  • Keep root keys secure and never expose them in client-side code
  • Use different root keys for different environments
  • Rotate keys periodically, especially after team member departures
  • Create keys with minimal necessary permissions following least privilege principle
  • Monitor key usage with audit logs.

Body

application/json
​
keyId
string
required

Specifies which key receives the additional permissions using the database identifier returned from keys.createKey. Do not confuse this with the actual API key string that users include in requests.

Required string length: 3 - 255
Example:

"key_2cGKbMxRyIzhCxo1Idjz8q"

​
permissions
string[]
required

The permissions to set for this key.

This is a complete replacement operation - it overwrites all existing direct permissions with this new set.

Key behaviors:

  • Providing an empty array removes all direct permissions from the key
  • This only affects direct permissions - permissions granted through roles are not affected
  • All existing direct permissions not included in this list will be removed

Any permissions that do not exist will be auto created if the root key has permissions, otherwise this operation will fail with a 403 error.

Specify the permission by its slug.

Response

Permissions set successfully. Returns all permissions currently assigned to the key.

​
meta
object
required

Metadata object included in every API response. This provides context about the request and is essential for debugging, audit trails, and support inquiries. The requestId is particularly important when troubleshooting issues with the Unkey support team.

​
data
object[]
required

Complete list of all permissions now directly assigned to the key after the set operation has completed.

The response includes:

  • The comprehensive, updated set of direct permissions (reflecting the complete replacement)
  • Both ID and name for each permission for easy reference

Important notes:

  • This only shows direct permissions, not those granted through roles
  • An empty array means the key has no direct permissions assigned
  • For a complete permission picture including roles, use keys.getKey instead