# API key (/docs/api-key)

<!-- agent-signals: reading_time_min: 1 · est_tokens: 487 · updated: 2026-07-30 -->
Related: [Billing & limits](/docs/billing.md), [E2B CLI](/docs/cli.md), [Running commands in sandbox](/docs/commands.md), [Cookbook](/docs/cookbook.md), [Filesystem](/docs/filesystem.md), [Overview](/docs/mcp.md)

To use the API key, you can either:

* **Set the API key as the `E2B_API_KEY` environment variable** to avoid passing it each time you create a sandbox.
* Or pass it directly to the `Sandbox` constructor as shown below:

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    <CodeBlockTabsList>
      <CodeBlockTabsTrigger value="JavaScript & TypeScript">
        JavaScript & TypeScript
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    <CodeBlockTab value="JavaScript & TypeScript">
      ```js  
      import { Sandbox } from 'e2b'

      const sandbox = await Sandbox.create({ apiKey: 'YOUR_API_KEY' })
      ```
    </CodeBlockTab>

    <CodeBlockTab value="Python">
      ```python  
      from e2b import Sandbox

      sbx = Sandbox.create(api_key="YOUR_API_KEY")
      ```
    </CodeBlockTab>
  </CodeBlockTabs>
</CodeGroup>

## Where to find API key [#where-to-find-api-key]

You can get your API key at [dashboard](https://e2b.dev/dashboard?tab=keys).

<br />

# Access token [#access-token]

<Warning>
  `E2B_ACCESS_TOKEN` is deprecated. New access tokens can no longer be generated after **July 1, 2026**, and all access tokens stop working on **August 1, 2026**. Authenticate with `E2B_API_KEY` instead. See the [access token deprecation](/docs/migration/access-token-deprecation).
</Warning>

The access token is used only by the interactive CLI login commands `e2b auth login` and `e2b auth configure`, which set up your local workstation. It is **not needed in the SDK**, and you do not need to set it as an environment variable to use the CLI.

## Where to find access token [#where-to-find-access-token]

You can get your **Access token key** at the [dashboard](https://e2b.dev/dashboard/account). After July 1, 2026, new access tokens can no longer be generated.