# Share Keys with End Users

Once your API uses [API Key Authentication](../policies/api-key-inbound.mdx),
the next step is getting a key into the hands of each consumer. Zuplo offers
three options depending on who creates the key and where the management UI
lives.

A **consumer** is the identity that owns one or more API keys (typically a
customer, team, or application). A **manager** is an email address assigned to a
consumer that grants self-serve access. When a user signs in to a Developer
Portal with an email matching the manager email, they see that consumer's keys
on their settings page.

## Pick an option

| Want this experience                                               | Use                       |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------- |
| Quickly create a key for yourself or a teammate during development | Zuplo Portal (admin only) |
| Let consumers self-serve through a Zuplo-hosted UI                 | Zuplo Developer Portal    |
| Build the key management UI inside your own product                | Zuplo Developer API       |

The rest of this page expands on each option.

:::note

The **Zuplo Portal** ([portal.zuplo.com](https://portal.zuplo.com)) is your
admin dashboard for building and operating your API. The **Zuplo Developer
Portal** is the public, customer-facing site you publish for your API consumers.
They are different products and serve different audiences.

:::

## Manual key creation (admin only)

:::caution

This flow is for development, testing, and ad-hoc use only. Creating keys by
hand in the admin portal does not scale to a production user base.

:::

For development or one-off needs, the easiest way to obtain an API key is in the
[Zuplo Portal](https://portal.zuplo.com). Open **Services > API Key Service**,
click **Configure**, and you can view existing keys or create new keys for your
consumers manually.

![API key section](../../public/media/api-key-end-users/api-key-service.png)

## Zuplo Developer Portal

If you publish a [Zuplo Developer Portal](../dev-portal/introduction.mdx) for
your API consumers, you can let authenticated users manage their own keys
without contacting your team.

By default, a consumer's keys are visible to any signed-in user whose email
matches a manager email assigned to that consumer. Consumers can copy and rotate
the keys they have access to from the **API Keys** section of the portal.

![API Keys in Developer Portal](../../public/media/api-key-end-users/api-key-portal.png)

The default Developer Portal does not include a self-serve flow for creating
brand-new keys. To enable that you have two options:

- **Roll your own self-serve flow.** Follow the
  [Dev Portal with API Keys example](https://zuplo.com/examples/dev-portal-with-api-keys)
  to add a "Create key" button backed by your own logic.
- **Use Zuplo Monetization.**
  [Monetization](https://zuplo.com/docs/articles/monetization) bundles
  self-serve key creation with plans, metering, and an upgrade flow in one
  developer portal. Self-serve via Monetization works on free plans during
  development; production use of Monetization requires a paid Zuplo plan.

## Zuplo Developer API

Use the [Zuplo Developer API](https://dev.zuplo.com/docs/) when you want
complete control over the experience, for example building an "API Keys" section
directly into your product's settings page.

This approach works with any tech stack. Your backend authenticates users with
your own auth system, then proxies requests to the Zuplo Developer API to
create, list, rotate, and delete keys on their behalf. You control the UI, the
access rules, and the onboarding flow.

:::caution

The Zuplo Developer API is a privileged, backend-only API. It accepts a
management token that grants full access to your account's consumers and keys.
Never call it from the browser.

:::

To get started:

1. Read the
   [Build Self-Serve Key Management](./api-key-self-serve-integration.mdx)
   walkthrough for architecture, code examples, and security guidance.
2. Refer to [Use the Developer API](./api-key-api.mdx) and the
   [Zuplo Developer API documentation](https://dev.zuplo.com/docs/) for the raw
   endpoint reference once you are implementing specific operations.