---
title: API Tokens
description: Generate scoped API tokens for CI/CD pipelines, scripts, and automation workflows with granular permission control.
---

<Note>
  API Tokens require a Sencho **Team Pro** license. Personal Pro and Community Edition do not include this feature.
</Note>

API tokens let you authenticate external tools — CI/CD pipelines, deployment scripts, monitoring integrations — without sharing user credentials. Each token is scoped to a specific permission level so you can follow the principle of least privilege.

## Permission scopes

Every token is created with one of three permission levels:

| Scope | Allowed actions |
|-------|----------------|
| **Read Only** | `GET` requests only — view stacks, containers, metrics, and settings |
| **Deploy Only** | Everything in Read Only, plus deploy-related actions (up, down, restart, pull) |
| **Full Admin** | Unrestricted access — equivalent to an admin user session |

Choose the narrowest scope that fits your use case. A CI pipeline that only deploys stacks should use **Deploy Only**, not Full Admin.

## Creating a token

1. Open **Settings Hub** and navigate to the **API Tokens** tab (visible to Team Pro admins only).
2. Click **Create Token**.
3. Enter a descriptive name (e.g., "GitHub Actions deploy") and select a permission scope.
4. Click **Create**. The raw token is displayed **once** — copy it immediately.

<Frame>
  <img src="/images/api-tokens/api-tokens-overview.png" alt="API Tokens management view in Settings Hub" />
</Frame>

<Warning>
  The token value is shown only at creation time. Sencho stores a SHA-256 hash of the token, not the token itself. If you lose it, revoke and create a new one.
</Warning>

## Using a token

Pass the token as a Bearer token in the `Authorization` header:

<CodeGroup>
```bash curl
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \
     https://your-sencho-instance/api/stacks
```

```yaml GitHub Actions
- name: Deploy stack
  run: |
    curl -X POST \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer ${{ secrets.SENCHO_TOKEN }}" \
      https://your-sencho-instance/api/compose/up \
      -d '{"stack": "my-app"}'
```
</CodeGroup>

### Scope enforcement

If a token attempts an action outside its scope, Sencho returns a `403` response with a `SCOPE_DENIED` error code:

```json
{
  "error": "API token scope \"read-only\" only allows GET requests.",
  "code": "SCOPE_DENIED"
}
```

## Revoking a token

Click the trash icon next to any token in the API Tokens settings tab. Revocation is immediate — any in-flight or future requests using the revoked token will receive a `401` response.

## Security model

- **Hashed storage** — Only a SHA-256 hash of the token is stored in the database. The raw token is never persisted.
- **Audit trail** — All actions performed via API tokens are recorded in the [Audit Log](/features/audit-log) under the creating user's username.
- **No expiry by default** — Tokens do not expire automatically. Revoke tokens manually when they are no longer needed.
- **Scope enforcement** — Permission checks happen at the middleware level before any route handler executes, ensuring consistent enforcement across all endpoints.