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RouteMate Help Center

API Keys

Manage API keys that allow external systems to securely connect with your RouteMate account.

What Are API Keys?

Section titled “What Are API Keys?”

API keys are unique credentials that allow external software systems to communicate with RouteMate programmatically. If you use a TMS (Transportation Management System), fleet analytics platform, dispatch software, or any other third-party tool that needs to exchange data with RouteMate, you will use an API key to authenticate those connections.

Each API key acts like a password for a specific integration, giving the external system permission to access your RouteMate data through the API.

Viewing Existing API Keys

Section titled “Viewing Existing API Keys”

To see your current API keys:

  1. Navigate to Admin > API Keys from the main menu.
  2. The list shows all API keys associated with your account, including:
    • Key Name — A descriptive name you assigned when creating the key.
    • Created Date — When the key was generated.
    • Last Used — The most recent time the key was used to make an API request.
    • Status — Whether the key is active or revoked.

Note: For security, the full API key value is only shown once — when the key is first created. After that, only a partial key is displayed for identification purposes.

Creating a New API Key

Section titled “Creating a New API Key”

To generate a new API key:

  1. Navigate to Admin > API Keys.
  2. Click the Create API Key button.
  3. Enter a descriptive name for the key (for example, “TMS Integration”, “Dispatch System”, or “Analytics Platform”). This helps you remember what the key is used for.
  4. Click Generate.
  5. Copy the API key immediately and store it in a secure location. The full key will not be displayed again.
  6. Provide the key to your integration partner or configure it in the external system.

Tip: Name your API keys after the system or integration they are used for. This makes it easy to identify and manage keys later, especially if you have multiple integrations.

Revoking an API Key

Section titled “Revoking an API Key”

If an API key is compromised, no longer needed, or you want to rotate your keys:

  1. Navigate to Admin > API Keys.
  2. Find the key you want to revoke.
  3. Click the Revoke button.
  4. Confirm the revocation when prompted.

Once revoked, the API key immediately stops working. Any external system using that key will no longer be able to access your RouteMate data.

Note: Revoking an API key is immediate and permanent. Make sure you have a replacement key configured in the affected system before revoking the old one to avoid service disruption.

Best Practices for API Key Security

Section titled “Best Practices for API Key Security”

Follow these guidelines to keep your API keys secure:

  • Treat API keys like passwords. Never share them in emails, chat messages, or publicly accessible documents.
  • Use one key per integration. If you have three external systems connecting to RouteMate, create three separate API keys. This way, if one is compromised, you can revoke it without affecting the others.
  • Rotate keys periodically. Generate new keys and update your integrations on a regular schedule (for example, quarterly) to reduce the risk of unauthorized access.
  • Monitor usage. Check the “Last Used” column regularly. If a key that should be active has not been used recently, or if a key that should be inactive shows recent activity, investigate.
  • Revoke unused keys. If you decommission an integration, revoke its API key right away. There is no reason to leave unused keys active.
  • Store keys securely. Use a password manager or secrets management tool to store your API keys. Avoid storing them in plain text files or spreadsheets.

Tip: If you suspect an API key has been compromised, revoke it immediately and generate a new one. It is better to briefly disrupt an integration than to risk unauthorized access to your fleet data.

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