Key management FAQs

Usage by key

What is "usage by key"?
Usage by key is a report that allows you to track API usage per key and license, providing insights into individual key activity and lookup consumption.

Why is tracking API usage by key important?
It helps monitor and manage API consumption per key, helping you optimize costs, detect anomalies, and allocate resources effectively.

Is usage by key included in my plan?
All annual subscriptions include key usage. If you're on a monthly plan, contact us to see if a yearly plan is better for you.

How do I access usage reports by key?
Log in to your Smarty account and navigate to the API Key section. Locate the "Usage by key" button, and select all or specific keys you’d like in the report. Select the time frame past 30, 60, days or a custom date range, then export.
*Data is only available from July 2, 2024, to the present.

What information is provided in the "Usage by key" report?
Security Key, Key Name, License, Timestamp (by hour), Lookups used (per hour).

Can I export usage by key data for analysis?
Yes, your usage report can be downloaded in a CSV format.

How often can I access usage by key?
You can pull reports as often as you’d like. You can pull one report per day or hundreds (though we’re not sure why you would…). It's up to you. Each report is pulled in 6-month increments.

Can I pull a single report that includes all my keys?
Yes! You can run a report for individual keys or a single report that includes all of your keys, including embedded and secret.

How far back does the usage data go?
Usage data is available from July 2, 2024 — to the present.

Functionality & Configuration

How frequently is usage data updated?
Usage data is updated in real time.

Can I view historical API usage for specific keys?
Historical data is available in 6-month increments from July 2, 2024, to the present.

Is there a way to group API keys by project or team?
You can add labels to your keys, allowing you to distinguish better teams or code areas that use that specific key.

Security & Compliance

How does tracking API usage by key improve security?
It helps identify unauthorized or excessive usage patterns, preventing potential security breaches.

Can I limit API access for specific keys based on usage?
Yes, if limit by key is included in your subscription, you can configure lookup limits for each key to help with forecasting, budgeting, and prevent overuse

Billing & Cost management

Does usage by key affect my billing?
Yes, tracking usage by key helps you quickly identify runaway code that unexpectedly consumes your lookups, ensuring you're not overpaying for unnecessary API calls.

Can I charge back API usage to different departments or clients?
Yes. You can use this report to track internal usage, charge back to other teams, etc.

Can I see which API keys are generating the most cost?
Yes, usage reports help identify which key(s) consume the most lookups, allowing for better cost control.

Can I see which keys are using specific licenses?
Yes! The usage by key report includes license information so you can see what keys are using which licenses.

Limit by key FAQs

What is "limit by key"?
Limit by key is a feature that allows you to set API usage limits per key to prevent overuse and manage costs.

Why would I need to limit API usage by key?
To protect system performance, limit or prevent runaway code, control internal team budgets, provide insight to OEM and downstream users, bill for chargebacks, etc.

How do I set limits on an API key?
Limits can be configured in the API dashboard by specifying lookup limits per key.

What types of limits can I set?
Currently, users can limit the total number of lookups per key for the life of that key or until that key is reset.

What’s the difference between an embedded key and a secret key?
A secret key is private and meant for backend server-to-server communication, while an embedded key is public-facing and designed for client-side use with restrictions like IP or domain limits.

What type of keys can I set limits on?
You can set lookup limits on secret keys. However, you can't currently limit embedded keys they already have built-in limits.

What happens if a key exceeds its allowed lookup limit?
When a key reaches its limit, all requests are blocked until you reset the counter, increase the limit, or remove it. If you need more lookups in your plan, contact your account executive.

Functionality & Configuration

Can I apply different limits to different keys?
Yes. Limits can be customized for each key based on usage needs.

Can I change or remove a limit after setting it?
Yes. Limits can be adjusted or removed anytime via the Smarty account dashboard by the account owner.

What happens when an API key reaches its limit?
Requests will be denied (402 error), and the limit will be shut off until an account owner logs in, the counter is reset, or the limit is removed or increased.

Can I set limits dynamically based on usage patterns?
Not currently. The system won't adjust dynamically, but we don't prevent you from changing your limits in any way, shape, or form. You could adjust as often as you'd like if you need dynamic control.

Security & Compliance

How does "limit by key" enhance API security?
Restricting excessive usage can help prevent abuse, DDoS attacks, and unauthorized access.

Monitoring & Alerts

Will I receive alerts when a key is close to its limit?
Currently, all users and contacts on the account will receive an email when a key hits 90% of its usage limit and another when it hits the limit and has been turned off.

How can I monitor which keys are nearing their limits?
The usage by key report provides real-time tracking and historical reports to monitor usage. It’s available in all Smarty yearly plans and is located in the API Keys section of the dashboard.

Can I temporarily increase a key’s limit if needed?
Yes, account owners can manually adjust limits to accommodate temporary spikes in usage.

Billing & Cost control

Does limiting API usage by key affect billing?
Yes, it helps prevent unexpected overages, optimize API costs, and allocate budgets more effectively.

Can I track which keys are hitting their limits most often?
Yes, the usage by key report lets you identify which keys require limit adjustments.