First-start bootstrap

Start the API server, capture the one-time superadmin key, and recover it if you miss it.

Start the server

Run the API server pointing at your policy directory:

autopil-serve --policy policies/

Capture the superadmin key

On first start, if no tenants exist, the server creates a default tenant and prints a superadmin key once:

⚠  First start — created 'default' tenant and superadmin key:
   apl_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
   Save this — it will not be shown again.

Save this key. It is shown exactly once. Use it as X-API-Key for all subsequent API calls, including creating tenants and provisioning additional keys.

Recover a lost key

If you missed the key, regenerate it by setting AUTOPIL_RESET_ADMIN_KEY=1 and restarting the server — a fresh key will be printed to stdout. For Docker, retrieve it with:

docker compose logs | grep "AUTOPIL ADMIN KEY"

Create an evaluate key

Once running, create a scoped evaluate key from the dashboard under Settings → API Keys for use in agent code. Keep the superadmin key out of agent processes.

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