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

# Overview

> Credentials bound to a single agent

An agent key (`ak_ntl_*`) is a credential bound to one [Agent](/guides/concepts/agents). A request made with it *is* that agent. Give it to an agent runtime; it carries the same verified binding as an agent-scoped [MCP OAuth](/guides/platform/mcp) grant.

An [API key](/guides/concepts/api-keys) is the party-wide counterpart: it can attribute a call to an agent, but it isn't one. An agent key is scoped to its agent, nothing else.

## Issuing

Agent keys can only be issued, rotated, or revoked from a user session, so a leaked party key can't mint agent identities.

## Rotation and revocation

Rotating issues a replacement and keeps the old key valid for a grace period you choose, up to 24 hours, so a running agent switches over without downtime. Revoking invalidates a key immediately, with no replacement. Either way, the secret is shown once.