Unkey MCP server

Manage API keys, identities, permissions, rate-limit overrides and verification analytics. Hosted by usefulapi: connect it to Claude, ChatGPT, Cursor or any MCP client.

Connect UnkeyFree 50 tool calls / monthPro $9/mo · $90/yr · pricing23 tools

What can I ask?

Turn on the Unkey connector, then ask in plain words. The AI picks the tools.

List the customer identities we have set up, with their saved details.
How many verifications did our keys have in the last 7 days?
Show how many key checks passed or failed in the last seven days.
List the roles and permissions we have set up for customer access.

What you can do with Unkey in Claude and ChatGPT

For developers who issue and manage API keys, identities and rate limits with Unkey.

Look up a key and its settings

The AI fetches a key by id, or identifies a key from its secret without spending credits, and shows its name, owner, permissions, credits, rate limits and enabled state.

List the keys of an API or of one customer

The AI lists the keys issued under one API, optionally narrowed to a single customer by externalId.

Count passed and failed key checks in a period

The AI runs a read-only SQL query over key-verification analytics, for example the last seven days, and summarizes how many checks passed or failed.

Review identities, roles and permissions

The AI lists identities and opens one with its metadata and shared rate limits, and lists the roles and permissions defined in your workspace.

Issue, change or revoke an API key

The AI creates a key under an API, updates its name, owner, expiry, roles or enabled state, adjusts its credits, or revokes it.

Changes data

How do I connect Unkey?

Before you connect

The login page asks for your Unkey root key.

Create one in Unkey → Settings → Root Keys. Your token is used only to call the API on your behalf and to derive a private account id; it is never shown to anyone.

Claude claude.ai · Desktop

Open Customize → Connectors, then click + Add → Add custom connector.
Enter the name Unkey and this URL, then click Add:
https://unkey.usefulapi.io/mcp
Claude opens the login page: enter your Unkey root key.
In a chat, click + → Connectors and turn on Unkey.

Team and Enterprise: an Owner adds the connector for the organization first.

ChatGPT chatgpt.com

Open Plugins, click +, then Add custom MCP server.
Enter the name Unkey and this URL, choose OAuth as the authentication, confirm the warning and create it:
https://unkey.usefulapi.io/mcp
ChatGPT opens the login page: enter your Unkey root key.
In Plugins, install Unkey, then choose it in a chat.

No Add custom MCP server option? It depends on your account or workspace settings: see OpenAI's guide.

Claude Code

Run this command, then run /mcp in Claude Code to log in:

claude mcp add --transport http unkey https://unkey.usefulapi.io/mcp

Cursor

Add to Cursor or add this to ~/.cursor/mcp.json:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "unkey": {
      "url": "https://unkey.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

VS Code

Add to VS Code or add this to .vscode/mcp.json:

{
  "servers": {
    "unkey": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://unkey.usefulapi.io/mcp"
    }
  }
}

Codex

Run these commands. The second one opens the login page:

codex mcp add unkey --url https://unkey.usefulapi.io/mcp

codex mcp login unkey

Other clients

Windsurf, Cline, Zed and other MCP clients: add this URL as a remote MCP server (Streamable HTTP). The client then opens the login page in your browser.

https://unkey.usefulapi.io/mcp

Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your Unkey root key. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.

Pricing

Plan	Price	Limit
Free	$0	50 tool calls / month
Pro	$9/mo · $90/yr	10,000 tool calls / month
Pro+	$39/mo · $390/yr	100,000 tool calls / month

Each paid plan covers this Unkey server only. Ask your AI to run unkey_upgrade and choose Pro or Pro+, billed monthly or yearly (it returns a Stripe Checkout link). If you already have Pro, ask to change it to Pro+. The change requires your confirmation, keeps your billing interval and charges the price difference for the rest of the period immediately. Cancel any time with unkey_cancel_subscription: your paid plan continues to the end of the paid period, with no refund for the current period, and asking to resume the same plan with unkey_upgrade before then undoes the cancel. Or write to [email protected].

Tools 23

Show all 23 tools (the AI picks them for you)

Read only · 12

Check API healthunkey_liveness
Check that the Unkey API is reachable and the root key works. The only GET in the v2 surface.
Get one key by idunkey_get_key
Fetch a key's metadata by its key id — name, owner, permissions, credits, rate limits and whether it is enabled. Read-only despite being a POST.
Look up a key by its secretunkey_whoami_key
Given a plaintext API key, return which key it is and its metadata — without spending credits or recording a verification. This is the safe way to identify a key a customer sent you.
Get one APIunkey_get_api
Fetch an API namespace by id. Read-only despite being a POST.
List the keys of an APIunkey_list_api_keys
List every key issued under one API, optionally narrowed to a single customer by externalId. Read-only despite being a POST.
List identitiesunkey_list_identities
List identities — the end users or organisations your keys belong to. Read-only despite being a POST.
Get one identityunkey_get_identity
Fetch a single identity with its metadata and shared rate limits. Read-only despite being a POST.
List permissionsunkey_list_permissions
List the permissions defined in the workspace. Read-only despite being a POST.
List rolesunkey_list_roles
List the roles defined in the workspace. Read-only despite being a POST.
List rate-limit overridesunkey_list_ratelimit_overrides
List the per-identifier overrides in one rate-limit namespace. Read-only despite being a POST.
Get one rate-limit overrideunkey_get_ratelimit_override
Fetch the override for one identifier in a namespace. Read-only despite being a POST.
Query key-verification analyticsunkey_query_verification_analytics
Run a read-only SQL query over key-verification analytics. The query must use one of the public aliases: key_verifications_v1, key_verifications_per_minute_v1, key_verifications_per_hour_v1, key_verifications_per_day_v1 or key_verifications_per_month_v1. Physical default.* table names are rejected, and results are scoped to your workspace.

Changes data · 7

Create an APIunkey_create_api
Create a new API namespace to issue keys under.
Create an API keyunkey_create_key
Issue a new API key under an API. The plaintext key is returned ONCE in the response and cannot be retrieved later unless recoverable is set.
Update a keyunkey_update_key
Change a key's name, owner, metadata, expiry, roles, permissions or enabled state.
Update a key's creditsunkey_update_key_credits
Set, increment or decrement a key's remaining credits. Use set with no value for unlimited.
Delete a keyunkey_delete_key
Revoke a key. By default this is a soft delete the key stops working but stays queryable; pass permanent to erase it.
Create an identityunkey_create_identity
Create an identity — an end user or organisation that keys and shared rate limits attach to.
Set a rate-limit overrideunkey_set_ratelimit_override
Set a custom rate limit for one identifier in a namespace — how you raise or lower a single customer's limit.

Your usefulapi plan · 4

Usage status (free-tier meter)unkey_usage_status
Report the caller's current usage: the plan, calls used this month, the limit of the plan (the free monthly cap or the Pro fair use limit), remaining, and whether the limit is reached. Read-only; does not count against the meter.
Request a missing featureunkey_request_feature
Tell usefulapi that the user needs something the Unkey tools cannot do yet (a missing tool, field or filter). Call it only when the user asks for something none of the tools can do, and tell the user that you send the request. Do not call it for errors or for normal requests. Do not include personal data, credentials or customer records. Stored with the product name and the client type (for example Claude or Cursor), without the user's account. At most 5 requests per day. Does not count against the meter.
Upgrade to Pro or Pro+unkey_upgrade
Get a paid plan for Unkey (the free tier caps monthly usage). Pro: 10,000 tool calls a month, for normal use — plan "monthly" ($9/month) or "yearly" ($90/year, 2 months free). Pro+: 100,000 tool calls a month, for automations and heavy use — plan "plus" ($39/month) or "plus_yearly" ($390/year). Without a plan it returns both Pro and Pro+, each with a payment link, for the user to choose; with a plan, one link. An existing Pro subscription changes to Pro+ in place (needs confirm: true; the price difference for the rest of the period is charged at once). Cancel any time: the plan then runs to the end of the paid period, so it also suits a one-time job. A link opens Stripe Checkout in the browser; after payment the account upgrades automatically. Does not count against the meter.
Cancel the Pro subscriptionunkey_cancel_subscription
Cancel the caller's Unkey Pro subscription at the end of the paid period (no refund for the current period; Pro continues until then, then the free tier applies). Requires confirm: true. Run unkey_upgrade later to undo the cancel before the period ends. Does not count against the meter.

FAQ

What can I do with Unkey in Claude or ChatGPT?

Look up a key and its settings. List the keys of an API or of one customer. Count passed and failed key checks in a period. Review identities, roles and permissions. Issue, change or revoke an API key. See what you can do for the details.

Is this an official Unkey product?

No. usefulapi is an independent service. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by Unkey. The server calls the Unkey API with your own Unkey access, so it sees only the data that your account can see.

Can I connect Unkey to Claude or ChatGPT?

Yes. In Claude, add this server's URL as a custom connector. In ChatGPT, add it as a custom MCP server in Plugins. Then log in once. Cursor, VS Code, Claude Code and Codex work too. See the setup steps.

What do I need to connect?

The login page asks for your Unkey root key. See Before you connect for where to find it.

Do I put my Unkey key or an Authorization header in the client config?

No. Add only the URL. Do not add an Authorization header or an API key to the client config. The server signs you in with OAuth: the login page asks for your Unkey root key. If the config has such a header, remove it: some clients then send that header instead of the login token, and every call fails with 401.

How do you keep my Unkey credentials?

The login stores them encrypted in the authorization grant of your connection. The server uses them to call the Unkey API for you and to derive a private account id for usage metering. usefulapi does not show them on any page or in any reply. To stop all access, remove the connector and change or delete these credentials in Unkey.

Can the AI change my Unkey data?

Yes, if you approve it. 7 of the 19 Unkey tools can create or change data. The other 12 are marked read-only. Most MCP clients ask you to approve a tool call before it runs.

What does it cost?

The Free plan gives 50 tool calls / month. Pro costs $9/mo or $90/yr, with 10,000 tool calls / month. Pro+ costs $39/mo or $390/yr, with 100,000 tool calls / month. Each subscription covers this Unkey server only. Cancel any time: your paid plan then runs to the end of the paid period. Run unkey_usage_status to see how many calls you used.

How do I subscribe or cancel?

Ask the AI to run unkey_upgrade and choose Pro or Pro+, billed monthly or yearly: it returns a Stripe Checkout link. If you already have Pro, ask to change it to Pro+. After you confirm, your existing subscription changes in place, keeps its billing interval and charges the price difference for the rest of the period immediately. To cancel, run unkey_cancel_subscription. Your paid plan continues to the end of the paid period.

What if a Unkey tool that I need is missing?

Tell the AI what you wanted to do. It can send the request with unkey_request_feature. We store the text with the server name, the type of AI client and the tool you tried, not with your account, and read every request when we plan new tools. You can send up to 5 requests per day.

Which AI clients can I use?

Any client that supports remote MCP servers (Streamable HTTP) with OAuth login: Claude (web and desktop), Claude Code, ChatGPT, Codex, Cursor, VS Code, Windsurf and others.

This is a Model Context Protocol endpoint — meant to be connected from an AI client, not opened in a browser. An invalid_token response at the URL is the auth gate working as designed; clients authenticate automatically.

Need a tool this server does not have, or a connection to another system? We build custom integrations and MCP servers.

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