Keys API

  • Tier: Free, Premium, Ultimate
  • Offering: GitLab.com, GitLab Self-Managed, GitLab Dedicated

Use the keys API to identify the user associated with a SSH key, or its fingerprint. Queries about deploy key fingerprints also retrieve information about the projects using that key.

If you use a SHA256 fingerprint in an API call, you should URL-encode the fingerprint.

Get SSH key with user by ID of an SSH key

Get SSH key with user by ID of an SSH key. Only available to administrators.

GET /keys/:id
AttributeTypeRequiredDescription
idintegeryesThe ID of an SSH key.

Example request:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/keys/1"
{
  "id": 1,
  "title": "Sample key 25",
  "key": "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAABJQAAAIEAiPWx6WM4lhHNedGfBpPJNPpZ7yKu+dnn1SJejgt1256k6YjzGGphH2TUxwKzxcKDKKezwkpfnxPkSMkuEspGRt/aZZ9wa++Oi7Qkr8prgHc4soW6NUlfDzpvZK2H5E7eQaSeP3SAwGmQKUFHCddNaP0L+hM7zhFNzjFvpaMgJw0=",
  "created_at": "2015-09-03T07:24:44.627Z",
  "expires_at": "2020-05-05T00:00:00.000Z",
  "last_used_at": "2020-04-07T00:00:00.000Z",
  "usage_type": "auth",
  "user": {
    "name": "John Smith",
    "username": "john_smith",
    "id": 25,
    "state": "active",
    "avatar_url": "http://www.gravatar.com/avatar/cfa35b8cd2ec278026357769582fa563?s=40\u0026d=identicon",
    "web_url": "http://localhost:3000/john_smith",
    "created_at": "2015-09-03T07:24:01.670Z",
    "bio": null,
    "location": null,
    "public_email": "john@example.com",
    "linkedin": "",
    "twitter": "",
    "website_url": "",
    "organization": null,
    "last_sign_in_at": "2015-09-03T07:24:01.670Z",
    "confirmed_at": "2015-09-03T07:24:01.670Z",
    "last_activity_on": "2015-09-03",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "theme_id": 2,
    "color_scheme_id": 1,
    "projects_limit": 10,
    "current_sign_in_at": null,
    "identities": [],
    "can_create_group": true,
    "can_create_project": true,
    "two_factor_enabled": false,
    "external": false,
    "private_profile": null
  }
}

Get user by fingerprint of SSH key

You can search for a user that owns a specific SSH key. Note only administrators can lookup SSH key with the fingerprint of an SSH key.

GET /keys
AttributeTypeRequiredDescription
fingerprintstringyesThe fingerprint of an SSH key.

Example request:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/keys?fingerprint=ba:81:59:68:d7:6c:cd:02:02:bf:6a:9b:55:4e:af:d1"

Example response:

{
  "id": 1,
  "title": "Sample key 1",
  "key": "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAABJQAAAIEAiPWx6WM4lhHNedGfBpPJNPpZ7yKu+dnn1SJejgt1016k6YjzGGphH2TUxwKzxcKDKKezwkpfnxPkSMkuEspGRt/aZZ9wa++Oi7Qkr8prgHc4soW6NUlfDzpvZK2H5E7eQaSeP3SAwGmQKUFHCddNaP0L+hM7zhFNzjFvpaMgJw0=",
  "created_at": "2019-11-14T15:11:13.222Z",
  "expires_at": "2020-05-05T00:00:00.000Z",
  "last_used_at": "2020-04-07T00:00:00.000Z",
  "usage_type": "auth",
  "user": {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Administrator",
    "username": "root",
    "state": "active",
    "avatar_url": "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=80&d=identicon",
    "web_url": "http://0.0.0.0:3000/root",
    "created_at": "2019-11-14T15:09:34.831Z",
    "bio": null,
    "location": null,
    "public_email": "",
    "linkedin": "",
    "twitter": "",
    "website_url": "",
    "organization": null,
    "last_sign_in_at": "2019-11-16T22:41:26.663Z",
    "confirmed_at": "2019-11-14T15:09:34.575Z",
    "last_activity_on": "2019-11-20",
    "email": "admin@example.com",
    "theme_id": 1,
    "color_scheme_id": 1,
    "projects_limit": 100000,
    "current_sign_in_at": "2019-11-19T14:42:18.078Z",
    "identities": [
    ],
    "can_create_group": true,
    "can_create_project": true,
    "two_factor_enabled": false,
    "external": false,
    "private_profile": false,
    "shared_runners_minutes_limit": null,
    "extra_shared_runners_minutes_limit": null
  }
}

Get user by deploy key fingerprint

Deploy keys are bound to the creating user. If you query with a deploy key fingerprint, you get additional information about the projects using that key.

Example request with an MD5 fingerprint:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/keys?fingerprint=ba:81:59:68:d7:6c:cd:02:02:bf:6a:9b:55:4e:af:d1"

In this SHA256 example, / is represented by %2F and : is represented by%3A:

curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/keys?fingerprint=SHA256%3AnUhzNyftwADy8AH3wFY31tAKs7HufskYTte2aXo%2FlCg"

Example response:

{
  "id": 1,
  "title": "Sample key 1",
  "key": "ssh-rsa AAAAB3NzaC1yc2EAAAABJQAAAIEAiPWx6WM4lhHNedGfBpPJNPpZ7yKu+dnn1SJejgt1016k6YjzGGphH2TUxwKzxcKDKKezwkpfnxPkSMkuEspGRt/aZZ9wa++Oi7Qkr8prgHc4soW6NUlfDzpvZK2H5E7eQaSeP3SAwGmQKUFHCddNaP0L+hM7zhFNzjFvpaMgJw0=",
  "created_at": "2019-11-14T15:11:13.222Z",
  "expires_at": "2020-05-05T00:00:00.000Z",
  "last_used_at": "2020-04-07T00:00:00.000Z",
  "usage_type": "auth",
  "user": {
    "id": 1,
    "name": "Administrator",
    "username": "root",
    "state": "active",
    "avatar_url": "https://www.gravatar.com/avatar/e64c7d89f26bd1972efa854d13d7dd61?s=80&d=identicon",
    "web_url": "http://0.0.0.0:3000/root",
    "created_at": "2019-11-14T15:09:34.831Z",
    "bio": null,
    "location": null,
    "public_email": "",
    "linkedin": "",
    "twitter": "",
    "website_url": "",
    "organization": null,
    "last_sign_in_at": "2019-11-16T22:41:26.663Z",
    "confirmed_at": "2019-11-14T15:09:34.575Z",
    "last_activity_on": "2019-11-20",
    "email": "admin@example.com",
    "theme_id": 1,
    "color_scheme_id": 1,
    "projects_limit": 100000,
    "current_sign_in_at": "2019-11-19T14:42:18.078Z",
    "identities": [
    ],
    "can_create_group": true,
    "can_create_project": true,
    "two_factor_enabled": false,
    "external": false,
    "private_profile": false,
    "shared_runners_minutes_limit": null,
    "extra_shared_runners_minutes_limit": null
  },
  "deploy_keys_projects": [
    {
      "id": 1,
      "deploy_key_id": 1,
      "project_id": 1,
      "created_at": "2020-01-09T07:32:52.453Z",
      "updated_at": "2020-01-09T07:32:52.453Z",
      "can_push": false
    }
  ]
}