Create an API Key for Quip

What Is a Quip API Key?

A Quip API key is a credential that allows an external application or automated process to authenticate to the Quip API on behalf of your site. API keys are used for Admin API access (site-level administration), Live Apps API (building embedded apps in documents), and Automation API (triggering document actions from external systems).

Example: A development team building a Salesforce integration that automatically creates Quip documents when an Opportunity reaches a certain stage needs an API key scoped to the Automation API to allow the integration to create and update documents without requiring a user to log in.

How to Create an API Key

1. Log in to your Quip Admin Console at https://[yoursite].quip.com/admin
2. Navigate to API Keys in the left navigation.
3. Click Create New API Key.
4. Enter a descriptive name for the key that identifies the integration or process it will be used for.
5. Select the permitted scopes for this key (see below).
6. Click Create and copy the key immediately. The full key value is only shown once.

Permitted Scopes

Scopes control which API capabilities the key can access. Select only the scopes required for the specific integration to follow the principle of least privilege:

• Admin API – Read: Allows the integration to retrieve site information, user data, and audit logs without making changes.
• Admin API – Write: Allows the integration to manage users, folders, and site settings in addition to reading data.
• Live Apps API: Allows the integration to build and interact with Live App components embedded in Quip documents.
• Automation API: Allows the integration to create, edit, and manage Quip documents and spreadsheets programmatically.

Revoking or Rotating an API Key

To revoke a compromised key or rotate a key as part of a security audit, return to API Keys in the Admin Console, find the key, and click Revoke. Any integrations using the revoked key will immediately lose access and must be updated with a new key.