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Authentication

Learn how to authenticate with your Reeva MCP servers.

API Key Authentication​

Reeva MCP servers use API keys for authentication. This is the standard, secure way to connect your IDE or application to your MCP servers.

Types of API Keys​

Server-Specific Keys:

  • Tied to a single server
  • Format: mcpk_xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Created per-server in the dashboard
  • Ideal for production deployments

Global Keys:

  • Access multiple servers
  • Must be explicitly linked to each server
  • Useful for development environments
  • Created in the API Keys page

Generating API Keys​

Via Dashboard​

  1. Navigate to Servers → Select your server → API Keys
  2. Click "Generate Key"
  3. Copy the key immediately (it's shown only once)
  4. Store securely in your environment variables

Via API​

curl -X POST https://api.joinreeva.com/api/servers/server_123/api-keys \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"name": "Production Key"}'

Using API Keys​

Include your API key in the Authorization header with the Bearer prefix when making requests to your MCP server.

MCP Protocol Request​

curl -X POST https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_123 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer mcpk_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0",
    "method": "tools/list",
    "id": 1
  }'

Tool Execution​

import httpx

response = httpx.post(
    'https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_abc123',
    headers={
        'Authorization': 'Bearer mcpk_your_key',
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    json={
        'jsonrpc': '2.0',
        'method': 'tools/call',
        'params': {
            'name': 'google_search',
            'arguments': {'query': 'MCP protocol'}
        },
        'id': 1
    }
)

Configuring in IDEs​

Cursor​

Add to your MCP settings file (~/.cursor/mcp.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reeva-server": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-everything"],
      "env": {
        "REEVA_SERVER_ID": "server_abc123",
        "REEVA_API_KEY": "mcpk_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Windsurf​

Add to Windsurf MCP configuration:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "reeva": {
      "serverUrl": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_abc123",
      "apiKey": "mcpk_your_key_here"
    }
  }
}

Claude Code​

Configure in Claude Desktop settings:

{
  "servers": {
    "reeva": {
      "url": "https://api.joinreeva.com/mcp/server_abc123",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer mcpk_your_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Security Best Practices​

Storage​

  • ✅ Store keys in environment variables
  • ✅ Use secrets managers (AWS Secrets Manager, Google Secret Manager, 1Password)
  • ✅ Add .env files to .gitignore
  • ❌ Never commit keys to version control
  • ❌ Don't hardcode keys in source files
  • ❌ Don't share keys in chat or email

Rotation​

  • ✅ Rotate keys every 90 days
  • ✅ Generate new keys before revoking old ones
  • ✅ Update all clients before revocation
  • ✅ Monitor for unauthorized access in dashboard

Scoping​

  • ✅ Use server-specific keys in production
  • ✅ Limit global key access to necessary servers
  • ✅ Create separate keys per environment (dev/staging/prod)
  • ✅ Revoke unused keys immediately
  • ✅ Name keys descriptively ("Production API", "Dev Laptop")

API Key Management​

Creating Keys​

Server-Specific Key:

POST /api/servers/{server_id}/api-keys

Global Key:

POST /api/api-keys

Linking Global Keys​

Link a global key to a server:

POST /api/api-keys/{key_id}/servers/{server_id}

Revoking Keys​

Single Key:

DELETE /api/servers/{server_id}/api-keys/{key_id}

All Server Keys:

POST /api/servers/{server_id}/api-keys/revoke-all

Error Responses​

401 Unauthorized​

Cause: Invalid or missing API key

{
  "error": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "Invalid or expired API key"
}

Solutions:

  • Verify the key is correct (no extra spaces or line breaks)
  • Check that the key hasn't been revoked
  • Ensure you're using the correct server ID
  • Confirm the key is linked to the server (for global keys)

403 Forbidden​

Cause: Valid key but insufficient permissions

{
  "error": "Forbidden",
  "message": "Access denied to this resource"
}

Solutions:

  • Verify you own the server
  • Check that a global key is properly linked to the server
  • Ensure the server exists and is active

429 Rate Limited​

Cause: Too many requests

{
  "error": "Rate Limit Exceeded",
  "message": "Too many requests. Please try again later."
}

Solutions:

  • Implement exponential backoff
  • Reduce request frequency
  • Contact support for rate limit increases

Rate Limiting​

  • MCP endpoints: 1000 requests/minute per API key
  • Tool execution: Limited by credit balance, not rate limits
  • Burst capacity: 100 requests in 10 seconds

Troubleshooting​

Key Not Working After Creation​

Wait 30 seconds: New keys take a moment to propagate across the system.

"Key not found" Error​

  • Verify you're using the full key including the mcpk_ prefix
  • Check you're calling the correct server ID
  • Confirm the key wasn't revoked

Works in Dashboard but Not in IDE​

  • Check IDE configuration syntax
  • Verify environment variables are loaded
  • Restart your IDE after configuration changes
  • Check for proxy or firewall issues

See Also​