> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.useplinth.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tenants & API keys

> A tenant is your company account. Everything — customers, plans, invoices — lives under it.

A tenant is your workspace in Plinth. When you sign up, we create a tenant for your company. All your customers, plans, subscriptions, and invoices are scoped to that tenant. Nothing leaks between tenants.

## Test vs live mode

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Test mode">
    Test mode gives you a fully functional sandbox. You can create customers, subscribe them to plans, advance the clock, trigger dunning — all without moving real money.

    Test keys start with `sk_test_`. Use them in your development and staging environments.

    The sandbox has pre-loaded test cards (including ones that fail) and pre-seeded plans. See the [test clock guide](/guides/test-clock) for simulating time-sensitive flows.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Live mode">
    Live mode moves real money through Nomba's payment rails. You need a Nomba business account and completed KYC before a live key is issued.

    Live keys start with `sk_live_`. Only use them in production. Never hardcode them.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## API key format

| Key type        | Prefix     | Where to use             |
| --------------- | ---------- | ------------------------ |
| Test secret key | `sk_test_` | Development, staging, CI |
| Live secret key | `sk_live_` | Production only          |

## Authenticating requests

Every API request requires your key in the `Authorization` header:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.useplinth.com/v1/customers \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_test_YOUR_KEY"
```

```typescript theme={null}
import { Plinth } from '@nomba/sdk';

const client = new Plinth({
  apiKey: process.env.NOMBA_API_KEY!,
});
```

<Warning>
  Never commit API keys to source control. Use environment variables. If a key is exposed, rotate it immediately from the dashboard — the old key stops working the moment you rotate.
</Warning>

## Key rotation

Rotate keys from the [dashboard](https://app.useplinth.com/dashboard/api-keys). Issuing a new key doesn't invalidate the old one until you explicitly revoke it — giving you time to update your deployment.

To revoke via API: `DELETE /v1/tenant/api-keys/{key_id}`.