Secure API key sharing
Send an API key securely without pasting it into Slack, email, or tickets.
iKrypt lets you share API keys, tokens, webhook secrets, and developer credentials through one-time encrypted links. The key is encrypted in your browser, and iKrypt stores only ciphertext.
For permanent infrastructure access, use a secrets manager. For quick temporary handoffs, iKrypt helps keep API keys out of permanent message history.
Browser-side encryption
Your API key is encrypted locally before it leaves your device.
One-time encrypted links
Set view limits and expiry times so the link is not available forever.
No account required
Create a temporary secure handoff without adding users or setting up a vault.
Why API keys should not live in chat history
API keys often unlock access to billing systems, customer data, cloud services, internal tools, analytics platforms, or production integrations. Leaving them in chat or email creates a searchable, forwardable record that may stay around long after the task is finished.
A one-time encrypted link gives the secret a shorter lifecycle. The recipient opens the link, retrieves the key, and the secret becomes inaccessible after the configured view limit or expiry.
This does not replace proper access management, scoped credentials, or key rotation. It simply makes quick handoffs safer than pasting credentials into permanent communication channels.
Risky places to paste API keys
- Slack or Discord messages that stay searchable forever
- Email threads that get forwarded or synced across devices
- Project management tickets with long retention
- Shared docs or onboarding notes
- Screenshots pasted into chat
- Plaintext comments in GitHub issues or pull requests
Workflow
How to send an API key securely with iKrypt
A simple flow for temporary developer handoffs.
Paste the API key
Add the API key, token, webhook secret, or temporary credential you need to share.
Set one-view access
For most API keys, choose one allowed view and a short expiry time.
Send the encrypted link
Share the generated link with the intended developer, contractor, teammate, or client.
Rotate when finished
For production or high-value keys, rotate or revoke the key after the handoff is complete.
Better API key sharing practices
iKrypt works best when used alongside good developer security habits.
- Use scoped API keys with the minimum permissions needed
- Use test or staging keys instead of production keys when possible
- Set a short expiry on the iKrypt link
- Use a one-view link for one-time handoffs
- Rotate or revoke the key after temporary access is no longer needed
- Never commit API keys into source code or public repositories
What iKrypt cannot fix
One-time encrypted links reduce exposure in the handoff. They do not make an over-permissioned or never-rotated API key safe.
- A recipient saving or forwarding the revealed API key
- A compromised developer machine
- Malicious browser extensions
- Someone forwarding the full iKrypt link including the key after #
- An API key with excessive permissions
- A production key that is never rotated after sharing
Use cases
When to send an API key with a one-time link
Related guides
More ways to share secrets safely
Frequently asked questions
How should I send an API key securely?
For long-term access management, use a proper secrets manager, password manager, or cloud secret store. For quick one-time handoffs, iKrypt helps you avoid pasting the API key directly into Slack, email, tickets, or shared docs.
Can iKrypt read my API key?
No. The API key is encrypted in your browser before upload. iKrypt stores encrypted ciphertext only, and the decryption key stays in the URL fragment after #.
Is the full iKrypt link sensitive?
Yes. Treat the full link as sensitive. Anyone with the complete link, including the part after #, may be able to decrypt the API key until the link expires or reaches its view limit.
Should I rotate the API key after sharing it?
For sensitive, production, or long-lived API keys, yes. Sharing should usually be followed by rotation or revocation once the recipient no longer needs access.
Is iKrypt a secrets manager?
No. iKrypt is not a vault or long-term secrets manager. It is a quick, no-account tool for temporary encrypted handoffs.
Create a secure developer handoff
Send an API key without leaving it in permanent chat history.
Create a one-time encrypted link, set a short expiry, and share the key with the intended recipient. No account required.