The Four Access Levels
Access levels are ranked numerically from 0 to 3. A higher rank always includes the capabilities of all lower ranks.The numeric ranks (
none: 0, sample: 1, sandbox: 2, production: 3) are the authoritative comparison values the platform uses when evaluating whether a key can access a given endpoint. A key at rank 2 can satisfy any requirement with rank ≤ 2.Account Entitlement and Key Scoping
Your account’s entitlement is the platform-level maximum access level assigned to your workspace. It is set by your subscription plan and can only be changed by your account manager or through an upgrade. When you create an API key in your dashboard, you choose a scope for that key. The scope can be any level fromnone up to your account’s entitlement — you cannot set a key scope above your entitlement. The platform enforces this with a clamp: if you somehow request a scope above your entitlement, the key is issued at the entitlement level instead.
- Development Key
- Partner Key
- CI Key
Your account holds
production entitlement. You create a key scoped to sandbox for your staging environment. That key can fetch full-shape dataset records but cannot retrieve records marked as quote-safe for live use — preventing accidental production data from leaking into a staging build.Minimum Access Requirements by Endpoint Category
Different endpoint categories require a minimum access level. Requests below the minimum are rejected with an authorization error — they do not fall back silently.Upgrading Your Entitlement
If your current entitlement does not meet the requirements of a workflow you are building, you have two options:1
Check your current entitlement
Open the API Keys dashboard and view your workspace entitlement badge in the top section of the page.
2
Review what each upgrade unlocks
The Data Catalog shows per-packet access state. Packets that require a higher entitlement display an upgrade prompt with the required level.
3
Request an upgrade
Contact your account manager or use the upgrade flow in the dashboard. Entitlement changes take effect immediately for new keys; existing keys retain their previously assigned scope.
How Access Is Evaluated at Request Time
When your application makes an API request, the platform evaluates access in this order:- Authenticate the key — verify the API key signature and look up the key’s assigned scope
- Load account entitlement — retrieve the workspace entitlement for the key’s owner
- Clamp to entitlement — apply
min(key_scope_rank, entitlement_rank)to get the effective level - Check endpoint minimum — compare the effective level against the endpoint’s required minimum
- Authorize or reject — if the effective level meets or exceeds the minimum, the request proceeds; otherwise a 403 is returned