Authentication

Daytona v2

Documentation for Daytona v2, currently in alpha. For the latest release, see Daytona v0.

Daytona authenticates SDK, CLI, and API requests with a project API key. The key identifies the project that owns the sandboxes you create and carries the permissions a request may use.

Get an API key

1. Go to Daytona Dashboard ↗
2. Click Create API Key
3. Enter Key Name
4. Select write:sandboxes permission
5. Click Create API Key
6. Copy and save the API key as an environment variable

Environment variables

Daytona resolves configuration in order of precedence:

1. Configuration in code
2. Environment variables

Variable	Description
DAYTONA_API_KEY	Your Daytona API key. Required unless DAYTONA_JWT_TOKEN is set
DAYTONA_JWT_TOKEN	A JWT instead of an API key. Optional; needs DAYTONA_PROJECT_ID
DAYTONA_PROJECT_ID	The project a JWT is scoped to. Required with DAYTONA_JWT_TOKEN

.env

DAYTONA_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY

Shell

Bash/Zsh

export DAYTONA_API_KEY=YOUR_API_KEY

Windows PowerShell

$env:DAYTONA_API_KEY="YOUR_API_KEY"

Authenticate the SDK

Construct the client without arguments to read the environment variables, or pass the configuration in code. Every call made through the client sends the API key or, with a JWT, a short-lived project token the client exchanges the JWT for.

Python

from daytona import Daytona, DaytonaConfig

# Using environment variables
daytona = Daytona()

# Using explicit configuration
config = DaytonaConfig(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")

daytona = Daytona(config)

# Pick the region per create
sandbox = daytona.v2.create(region="us")

Each DaytonaConfig field falls back to its environment variable independently. The client has no API URL or region field: every create takes a region, and the API picks the project, organization, or platform default when it is omitted.

Parameter	Type	Description
api_key	str	Falls back to DAYTONA_API_KEY. When neither this nor jwt_token is set, the client constructor raises UnauthorizedError.
jwt_token	str	A JWT instead of an API key. Falls back to DAYTONA_JWT_TOKEN. Needs project_id; setting both api_key and jwt_token raises BadRequestError.
project_id	str	The project a JWT is scoped to. Falls back to DAYTONA_PROJECT_ID.
request_timeout	float	Per-request HTTP timeout in seconds. 0 disables the timeout.

TypeScript

import { Daytona } from '@daytona/sdk'

// Using environment variables
const daytona = new Daytona()

// Using explicit configuration
const daytonaWithConfig = new Daytona({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' })

// Pick the region per create
const sandbox = await daytonaWithConfig.v2.create({ region: 'us' })

Each DaytonaConfig field falls back to its environment variable independently. The client has no API URL or region field: every create takes a region, and the API picks the project, organization, or platform default when it is omitted.

Parameter	Type	Description
apiKey	string	Falls back to DAYTONA_API_KEY. When neither this nor jwtToken is set, the constructor throws DaytonaAuthenticationError.
jwtToken	string	A JWT instead of an API key. Falls back to DAYTONA_JWT_TOKEN. Needs projectId; setting both apiKey and jwtToken throws DaytonaValidationError.
projectId	string	The project a JWT is scoped to. Falls back to DAYTONA_PROJECT_ID.
requestTimeout	number	Per-request HTTP timeout in milliseconds. 0 disables the timeout.

Authenticate the CLI

Sign in once and the CLI saves the session in its active profile, so following commands need no key or flags. After a browser or device login, the CLI selects your personal organization and its default project the first time and remembers your last selection afterwards; sandbox commands then mint a short-lived project API key on your behalf, which expires with the session.

CLI

# Browser login
daytona login --api-url https://api.daytona.com

# Device-code login on a host without a browser
daytona login --device --api-url https://api.daytona.com

# Store an API key in the active profile
daytona login --token YOUR_API_KEY --api-url https://api.daytona.com

# Confirm who you are and what is selected
daytona whoami

# Create a sandbox with the saved session
daytona sandbox create

# Remove the saved session from this machine
daytona logout

# Using environment variables (DAYTONA_API_KEY, DAYTONA_API_URL)
daytona sandbox create

# Using explicit flags
daytona sandbox create --api-key YOUR_API_KEY --api-url https://api.daytona.com

Flag	Type	Description
--api-key	string	Takes precedence over DAYTONA_API_KEY. Either one replaces the saved login for that command.
--api-url	string	Takes precedence over DAYTONA_API_URL, and either one overrides the URL stored in the profile.
--profile	string	Selects a profile other than the active one. DAYTONA_PROFILE does the same.

Authenticate API requests

Send the API key as a bearer token in the authorization header of every request.

API

curl 'https://api.daytona.com/sandboxes' \
  --request POST \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --data '{}'

• Creating a sandbox needs the write:sandboxes permission.
• Creating a sandbox also needs the read:secrets permission when the request attaches secrets.