---
title: Account tokens
description: An account token (prefix nf_at_) is the credential that authenticates every Notiflows developer surface — the CLI, the MCP server, the agent toolkit, and the Management API. Create one in the dashboard, use it, and rotate it safely.
---

An **account token** (prefix `nf_at_`) is the credential that authenticates the Notiflows developer surfaces: the [CLI](/docs/cli), the [MCP server](/docs/ai/mcp), the [agent toolkit](/docs/ai/agent-toolkit), and the [Management API](/docs/api/management) they all sit on top of.

<Callout type="info">
Account tokens are **not** the Admin or User API credential. Those server-to-server and client APIs authenticate with `x-notiflows-api-key` plus a secret key or user key — see the [API reference](/docs/api). Account tokens authenticate only the developer/AI surfaces over the Management API.
</Callout>

## Create one

Tokens are created in the dashboard, alongside Profile, Billing, and Team in your account settings.

1. Open **Account tokens** at [`https://app.notiflows.com/account-tokens`](https://app.notiflows.com/account-tokens).
2. Click **New token** and give it a descriptive **name** (e.g. `CI/CD Pipeline`, `claude-mcp`, `github-ci`).
3. Copy the secret immediately — it is **shown once** and cannot be retrieved again.

<Callout type="warn">
The token secret is displayed a single time at creation. If you lose it, you can't view it again — delete the token and create a new one. Store it in a secret manager or environment variable right away.
</Callout>

## Scope

Account tokens are **account-scoped**: a single token can access **every project in the account**. There are **no per-project tokens and no fine-grained scopes** today — a token is broad, with full read/write access to everything the account owns.

You select the *target project* per request rather than per token:

- **CLI** — the `--project` flag, the `NOTIFLOWS_PROJECT` env var, or the `project` field in `notiflows.json`.
- **MCP server** — the `project` argument on each tool call (call `list_projects` to discover slugs).
- **Management API** — the project slug in the path (`/projects/{project_slug}/…`).

## Lifecycle

Account tokens **do not expire**. From the dashboard you can:

- **Rename** a token.
- See its **last-used** time.
- **Delete (revoke)** a token.

There is no in-place rotation: **rotate by creating a new token and deleting the old one.** If a token ever leaks, revoke it immediately and issue a replacement.

## Where it's used

The same token authorizes every developer surface — only the mechanism differs:

```bash
# CLI — login stores it at ~/.config/notiflows/credentials.json
notiflows login --token nf_at_xxx
# or non-interactively via env / flag
export NOTIFLOWS_TOKEN=nf_at_xxx
notiflows whoami --token nf_at_xxx
```

```bash
# MCP server — sent as an Authorization: Bearer header to the hosted endpoint
claude mcp add notiflows -- npx -y mcp-remote https://api.notiflows.com/mcp \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer nf_at_xxx"
```

```ts
// Agent toolkit — the accountToken option
import { createNotiflowsToolkit } from "@notiflows/agent-toolkit";

const toolkit = createNotiflowsToolkit({
  accountToken: process.env.NOTIFLOWS_TOKEN!, // nf_at_...
  project: "acme",
});
```

```bash
# Management API — Authorization: Bearer
curl https://api.notiflows.com/management/v1/whoami \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer nf_at_xxx"
```

## Auditability

Actions taken with a token are attributed to it **by name**:

- Notiflow runs in the dashboard show **"Triggered by &lt;token name&gt;"**.
- Notiflow version history records the token as the **creator** of a change.

Name tokens after the system that uses them (e.g. `github-ci`, `claude-mcp`) so the audit trail reads clearly.

## Security

Treat an account token as a secret with **full account write access**:

- Store it in a secret manager or environment variable; **never commit it** to a repository.
- Scope it to one system and name it accordingly so a leak is easy to attribute and revoke.
- Revoke immediately on any suspected leak, then issue a replacement.

<Callout type="info">
The [MCP server](/docs/ai/mcp) exposes no destructive (delete/archive) tools, but the token still carries **full write access** through the raw Management API. Guard it as a privileged credential regardless of which surface uses it.
</Callout>

## Related

<Cards>
  <Card title="CLI" href="/docs/cli">
    Install, log in with a token, and manage notiflows as code.
  </Card>
  <Card title="MCP server" href="/docs/ai/mcp">
    Send the token as an Authorization: Bearer header from your AI editor.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Agent toolkit" href="/docs/ai/agent-toolkit">
    Pass the token as accountToken to createNotiflowsToolkit.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Management API" href="/docs/api/management">
    Send the token as Authorization: Bearer on every request.
  </Card>
</Cards>