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How to create a read-only API key on Coinbase

A read-only Coinbase key is an API key with only the View permission. You create it in the Coinbase Developer Platform, signed in with your normal Coinbase account, and it lets an app read your balances and trades without being able to trade or move anything.

Step by step

  1. Go to portal.cdp.coinbase.com and sign in with your Coinbase account.
  2. Open API keys and choose to create a new secret API key.
  3. Give it a nickname you’ll recognise, such as “Stock Locker”.
  4. Under permissions, tick View only. Leave Trade and Transfer off.
  5. Leave any IP allowlist empty when the service reads from its own servers, then create the key.
  6. Coinbase shows the API key name (or ID) and the private key. Copy both now: the private key is shown only once.

Connect it to Stock Locker

On the Connect accounts page, choose Coinbase. Paste the key name into the API key field and the whole private key, including any BEGIN and END lines, into the private key field. Stock Locker reads your balances and imports your full Coinbase trade history.

Keep it safe

  • Never paste a private key into a chat, email or form you don’t trust.
  • Use a separate key for each service, so you can delete one without breaking the others.
  • Delete keys you no longer use from the API keys page.

Using Binance too? How to create a read-only Binance key.

Frequently asked questions

Is a View-only Coinbase API key safe to share?

A key with only View permission can read balances and trade history but can't place orders or transfer funds. Give it only to services you trust, never share the private key in a message, and delete the key whenever you stop using a service.

Where do I create a Coinbase API key?

In the Coinbase Developer Platform (portal.cdp.coinbase.com), signed in with your Coinbase account, under API keys.

I lost my Coinbase private key. Can I see it again?

No. Coinbase shows the private key only once, when the key is created. Delete the key and create a new one.

This article is general information, not investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results, and every trade can lose money.