Scope API Keys to the Minimum Permissions Needed

API keys inherit Printago's full permission model. When you create a key, scope it to exactly the permissions that integration needs — nothing more.

A key for an order automation script gets order and queue permissions. A key for a read-only dashboard gets view-only access. A contractor building an integration gets a key scoped to what they need for that project, revoked when the project ends. If the built-in roles don't fit, individual permissions can be mixed and matched.

One API Key Per Integration

Never share a single API key across multiple integrations. Each integration — an order automation script, a monitoring dashboard, a developer's custom tool — should get its own key.

The reason is isolation. If one integration starts misbehaving — hammering the rate limit, producing errors — you can identify it, revoke just that key, and leave everything else running. With a shared key, you're debugging in the dark and your only option is to kill all access at once.

Lock Down Keys with IP Restrictions

API keys support CIDR-based IP allowlisting. A key can be restricted to specific IP ranges — your server, your office network, a contractor's known IP. Requests from outside the allowlist are rejected regardless of whether the key itself is valid.

Even if a key is exposed, it's only usable from trusted network locations. For production automation running from a fixed server, there's no reason not to lock it down.

Use Push, Not Poll

Printago provides two push-based mechanisms for staying in sync with your print farm. Use them instead of polling.

Polling is inefficient, eats into rate limits, and gives you data that's only as fresh as your poll interval. Push and stream instead.

Build Against the OpenAPI Spec

The API is versioned, and Printago maintains backwards compatibility within versions. Integrations you build today won't break because of a platform update.

The live OpenAPI specification is always available for download from the API Keys portal. It's generated from the running platform, not maintained separately — so it's always accurate. If you're building against the API, start with the spec. It's the authoritative source for endpoint behavior, field names, and data types.

This developer portal is also auto-generated from the live platform, so it stays current as the API evolves.

AI Agent Integration

Printago's structured API, consistent conventions, and comprehensive documentation are designed to be consumed by AI agents as much as by humans. The OpenAPI spec and this developer portal are oriented toward machine consumption.

Printago publishes a Claude Code skill that lets you manage your print farm through natural language — query queue status, manage parts, fulfill orders, generate reports. It's an example of what's possible when the underlying API is built for programmatic consumption, and a practical tool for operators who want to work faster without writing custom scripts.

Summary