APIs and credentials

API keys and tokens

Replay has two separate credentials. Learn which one each tool needs and how to create, store, and revoke them.

Replay has two separate credentials. They are issued by different apps and are not interchangeable.

CredentialCreated atUsed by
app.replay.io API keyapp.replay.io team settingsThe replayio CLI, the @replayio/playwright plugin, replayio upload-source-maps, CI upload workflows, and the Authorization header when connecting to Replay MCP
Replay QA API tokenqa.replay.io Settings > APIThe Replay QA REST API, the Replay QA MCP server, and the replayqa CLI in CI (REPLAY_QA_API_KEY). Always starts with lqa_

If a request is rejected with an authentication error, the first thing to check is that the credential came from the right app.

app.replay.io API key

This key authenticates anything that uploads recordings or source maps, and lets Replay MCP read recordings that belong to a team.

Create a key

  1. Open app.replay.io, open your team's settings, and go to API Keys.
  2. Give the key a name and the permissions it needs, then click Add.
  3. Copy the key. It is shown once.

Keep your API key safe

Copy and save the key immediately; it is not visible again after you close the settings. Do not commit it to your repository.

Revoke a key

The team settings list every active key. Delete any key you no longer need.

Use the key

The Replay tools all read REPLAY_API_KEY from the environment, and each also accepts the key as an argument or option.

Terminal
export REPLAY_API_KEY=<Your-API-Key>

For local development you can keep the key in a .env file loaded with dotenv. Make sure the file is in .gitignore.

.env
REPLAY_API_KEY=<your_api_key>

In CI, store the key as a repository secret. Most providers (for example GitHub Actions and CircleCI) expose secrets to workflows as environment variables.

For Replay MCP, pass the key as the Authorization header value in your MCP client configuration. See Replay MCP for per-client examples.

Replay QA API token

This token authenticates the Replay QA REST API at https://qa.replay.io/api/v1, the Replay QA MCP server at https://qa.replay.io/api/mcp, and the replayqa CLI. It does not work with the replayio CLI or with Replay MCP, and an app.replay.io API key does not work with Replay QA.

Create a token

  1. Sign in at qa.replay.io and open Settings > API.
  2. Enter a token name and click Create token. Give each script or agent its own named token so you can revoke them independently.
  3. Copy the token. It starts with lqa_ and is shown once.

Use the token

Send it as a bearer token on every request:

Authorization: Bearer lqa_your_token_here

For the replayqa CLI, set it as REPLAY_QA_API_KEY.

The token acts as the user who created it and covers every project that user can access. Tokens are listed and revoked from the same API section in Settings.

Signing in without a token

  • MCP clients that support OAuth sign-in connect to the Replay QA MCP server by URL alone; see Driving Replay QA from a coding agent.
  • The replayqa CLI on your own machine uses your Replay browser login: run replayqa login (or replayio login, which shares the same login).

Use a token for CI and scripts, where no browser is available.

Next
Replay APIs