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Superlog authenticates every API request with a Bearer token passed in the Authorization header. There are two distinct key types — each is accepted only in its correct context, and sending the wrong type returns a descriptive 401 error.

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Key types

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Management keys (sl_management_…)

Management keys are org-scoped credentials used to call the REST management API at /api/v1/*. A single management key can access every project in your org.
  • Created in the Superlog dashboard (see steps below).
  • Cannot be minted via the API itself — dashboard access is required.
  • Shown in plaintext exactly once at creation time.

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Ingest keys (sl_public_…)

Ingest keys are project-scoped credentials used to push OTLP telemetry to Superlog. They authenticate the standard OTLP endpoints:
  • POST /v1/traces
  • POST /v1/logs
  • POST /v1/metrics
You can create an ingest key automatically when you create a project (the default), or mint additional ones at any time via the API Keys endpoints or the dashboard.
Ingest keys are not accepted on /api/v1/* management endpoints (and vice-versa). If you accidentally send the wrong key type, the API returns 401 with the message wrong credential type.

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Getting a management key

1

Sign in to the Superlog dashboard

Open app.superlog.sh (or your self-hosted host) and sign in.
2

Open Settings → API Keys

In the left sidebar, navigate to Settings, then select the API Keys tab.
3

Create a new management key

Under Management Keys, click New Management Key. Give it a descriptive name — for example, CI/CD provisioning or Terraform.
4

Copy the key immediately

The dashboard displays the full key (sl_management_…) only once. Copy it and store it in a secrets manager or environment variable right away.

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Using a management key in requests

Pass the key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header on every request:
In application code, read the key from an environment variable rather than hard-coding it:

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Personal Access Tokens (PATs) for the MCP server

If you are connecting an AI assistant via the Superlog MCP server, you need a Personal Access Token rather than a management key. PATs carry the prefix superlog_pat_…, are user-scoped, and are bound to a single project.
1

Open Settings → API Tokens

In the dashboard sidebar, go to Settings → API Tokens.
2

Mint a token

Click New Token, choose the target project, set an expiry (or choose Never), and give the token a name.
3

Copy and configure

Copy the token and add it to your MCP client configuration. Like management keys, PATs are shown in plaintext only once.
For full MCP setup instructions, see the MCP Server reference.

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Error responses

Never commit API keys to source control. Store them as environment variables or in a secrets manager (AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, GitHub Actions secrets, etc.). Rotate any key that may have been exposed immediately via the dashboard.