API keys let your app authenticate requests to BackgroundErase. You can generate and manage keys from your account page if you’re on the Business or Enterprise plan.
Quick summary: Go to /account#api-access to generate a key, then use it in your API calls (or test it in the API Playground ).
Who can create API keys?
- Starter: No API access (no API keys).
- Business: API access included (API keys available).
- Enterprise: API access included (API keys available, often with custom limits).
Need API access? See API access: which plans include it? .
Generate an API key
- Click your profile circle in the top-right of the site.
- Choose My account.
- Scroll to API Access.
- Click Generate key.
- Copy the key and store it somewhere secure.
Important: Treat your API key like a password. Don’t share it publicly or commit it to GitHub.
Use your API key in a request
Include your key in the x-api-key header. Here’s a simple example:
curl -H 'x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY' \
-f https://api.backgrounderase.com/v2 \
-F 'image_file=@/absolute/path/to/image.jpg' \
-o output.pngYou can also test the same request in the API Playground and reproduce results using the exact flags you plan to use in production.
Rotate or revoke keys
If a key is ever exposed (or you simply want to follow best practices), rotate it: generate a new key, update your app to use it, then revoke the old one.
- Generate a new key from API Access.
- Update your server/app secrets to use the new key.
- Confirm requests succeed with the new key.
- Revoke the old key (if available in your dashboard) to prevent further use.
Tip: Keep keys scoped to a single environment (e.g., “production” vs “staging”) so rotation is easier.
Security best practices
- Store keys in environment variables or a secrets manager (not in client-side code).
- Never ship your API key inside a public web app bundle.
- Rotate keys periodically, especially for production.
- Limit who has access to keys inside your team.
Screenshot reference
