# ApiKey

An API Gateway ApiKey.

An ApiKey can be distributed to API clients that are executing requests
for Method resources that require an Api Key.

Extends: Construct › Resource › ApiKey
Implements: IResource, IApiKey, IEnvironmentAware, IApiKeyRef, IConstruct, IDependable

- CloudFormation: [`AWS::ApiGateway::ApiKey`](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/AWSCloudFormation/latest/TemplateReference/aws-resource-apigateway-apikey.html)
- L1 type: [`CfnApiKey`](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.aws_apigateway.CfnApiKey.html)
- Source: [`aws-apigateway/lib/api-key.ts`](https://github.com/aws/aws-cdk/blob/v2.275.0/packages/aws-cdk-lib/aws-apigateway/lib/api-key.ts#L165)
- Type last changed: v2.227.0 · 21 Nov 2025

## Example

```ts
const stack = new Stack(app, 'my-stack', {});
new api.ApiKey(stack, 'my-api-key', {
  enabled: false,
});
```

## Initializer

```ts
new ApiKey(scope: Construct, id: string, props?: ApiKeyProps)
```

## Construct Props

- `apiKeyName`: string — A name for the API key.

  **Default:** automically generated name

  If you don't specify a name, AWS CloudFormation generates a unique physical ID and uses that ID for the API key name.

- `customerId`: string = none — An AWS Marketplace customer identifier to use when integrating with the AWS SaaS Marketplace.

- `defaultCorsPreflightOptions`: [CorsOptions](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.aws_apigateway.CorsOptions.html) — Adds a CORS preflight OPTIONS method to this resource and all child resources.

  **Default:** CORS is disabled

  You can add CORS at the resource-level using `addCorsPreflight`.

- `defaultIntegration`: [Integration](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.aws_apigateway.Integration.html) — An integration to use as a default for all methods created within this API unless an integration is specified.

  **Default:** Inherited from parent.

- `defaultMethodOptions`: [MethodOptions](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.aws_apigateway.MethodOptions.html) — Method options to use as a default for all methods created within this API unless custom options are specified.

  **Default:** Inherited from parent.

- `description`: string = none — A description of the purpose of the API key.

- `enabled`: boolean = true — Indicates whether the API key can be used by clients.

- `generateDistinctId`: boolean = false — Specifies whether the key identifier is distinct from the created API key value.

- `resources`: [IRestApi](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.aws_apigateway.IRestApi.html)[] = none — - use `stages` instead

- `stages`: [IStage](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.aws_apigateway.IStage.html)[] — A list of Stages this api key is associated with.

  **Default:** the api key is not associated with any stages

- `value`: string = none — The value of the API key.

  Must be at least 20 characters long.

## Properties

- `apiKeyRef`: [ApiKeyReference](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.interfaces.aws_apigateway.ApiKeyReference.html) — A reference to a ApiKey resource.

- `env`: [ResourceEnvironment](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.interfaces.ResourceEnvironment.html) — The environment this resource belongs to.

  For resources that are created and managed in a Stack (those created by
  creating new class instances like `new Role()`, `new Bucket()`, etc.), this
  is always the same as the environment of the stack they belong to.

  For referenced resources (those obtained from referencing methods like
  `Role.fromRoleArn()`, `Bucket.fromBucketName()`, etc.), they might be
  different than the stack they were imported into.

- `grants`: [ApiKeyGrants](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.aws_apigateway.ApiKeyGrants.html) — Collection of grant methods for an ApiKey.

- `keyArn`: string — The API key ARN.

- `keyId`: string — The API key ID.

- `node`: [Node](/cdk/api/v2/docs/constructs.Node.html) — The tree node.

- `PROPERTY_INJECTION_ID`: string (static) — Uniquely identifies this class.

- `stack`: [Stack](/cdk/api/v2/docs/aws-cdk-lib.Stack.html) — The stack in which this resource is defined.

## Methods

- `applyCrossStackReferenceStrength(strength: ReferenceStrength): void` — Override the cross-stack reference strength for this resource.

  When set, any cross-stack reference to this resource will use the specified
  mechanism instead of the global default determined by the
  `@aws-cdk/core:defaultCrossStackReferences` context key. This is useful for
  selectively weakening specific references to avoid the "deadly embrace" problem
  without changing the app-wide default.

  **Parameters**

  - `strength` — - The reference strength to use for this resource.

- `applyRemovalPolicy(policy: RemovalPolicy): void` — Apply the given removal policy to this resource.

  The Removal Policy controls what happens to this resource when it stops
  being managed by CloudFormation, either because you've removed it from the
  CDK application or because you've made a change that requires the resource
  to be replaced.

  The resource can be deleted (`RemovalPolicy.DESTROY`), or left in your AWS
  account for data recovery and cleanup later (`RemovalPolicy.RETAIN`).

- `fromApiKeyId(scope: Construct, id: string, apiKeyId: string): IApiKey` (static) — Import an ApiKey by its Id.

- `grantRead(grantee: IGrantable): Grant` — Permits the IAM principal all read operations through this key.

  The use of this method is discouraged. Please use `grants.read()` instead.

  [disable-awslint:no-grants]

  **Parameters**

  - `grantee` — The principal to grant access to.

- `grantReadWrite(grantee: IGrantable): Grant` — Permits the IAM principal all read and write operations through this key.

  The use of this method is discouraged. Please use `grants.readWrite()` instead.

  [disable-awslint:no-grants]

  **Parameters**

  - `grantee` — The principal to grant access to.

- `grantWrite(grantee: IGrantable): Grant` — Permits the IAM principal all write operations through this key.

  The use of this method is discouraged. Please use `grants.write()` instead.

  [disable-awslint:no-grants]

  **Parameters**

  - `grantee` — The principal to grant access to.

- `isConstruct(x: any): boolean` (static) — Checks if `x` is a construct.

  Use this method instead of `instanceof` to properly detect `Construct`
  instances, even when the construct library is symlinked.

  Explanation: in JavaScript, multiple copies of the `constructs` library on
  disk are seen as independent, completely different libraries. As a
  consequence, the class `Construct` in each copy of the `constructs` library
  is seen as a different class, and an instance of one class will not test as
  `instanceof` the other class. `npm install` will not create installations
  like this, but users may manually symlink construct libraries together or
  use a monorepo tool: in those cases, multiple copies of the `constructs`
  library can be accidentally installed, and `instanceof` will behave
  unpredictably. It is safest to avoid using `instanceof`, and using
  this type-testing method instead.

  **Parameters**

  - `x` — Any object.

  **Returns:** true if `x` is an object created from a class which extends `Construct`.

- `isOwnedResource(construct: IConstruct): boolean` (static) — Returns true if the construct was created by CDK, and false otherwise.

- `isResource(construct: IConstruct): boolean` (static) — Check whether the given construct is a Resource.

- `toString(): string` — Returns a string representation of this construct.

- `with(...mixins: IMixin[]): IConstruct` — Applies one or more mixins to this construct.

  Mixins are applied in order. The list of constructs is captured at the
  start of the call, so constructs added by a mixin will not be visited.
  Use multiple `with()` calls if subsequent mixins should apply to added
  constructs.