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Coinbase API key
Updated Sep 18, 2026
CDP for an app you own. Advanced Trade only if you need your account. Secret shown once. Never trade permission for a first bot.
You will leave with Coinbase credentials in .env and Vercel. Coinbase currently has two dashboards people mix up. Pick one on purpose.
| You are building | Dashboard | What you get |
|---|---|---|
| An app that calls Coinbase APIs (prices, CDP products) | Coinbase Developer Platform | API key name + secret (and often a file you download once) |
| A bot that reads your Coinbase account | Coinbase.com → Advanced Trade API keys | Key + secret with View permission |
Coinbase Pro is dead. Ignore any 2023 “Pro” screenshot. Ignore tax-software videos that only need read-only export.
Step 1: Developer Platform (default for this site)
portal.cdp.coinbase.com → sign in → create a project → API keys → create.
Download or copy the secret once. If the UI gives you a JSON file, that file is a secret. It does not go in git. Put the values in .env.
Typical names:
COINBASE_API_KEY_ID=
COINBASE_API_SECRET=
If the current CDP screen uses different names, copy those names into .env.example. Do not invent COINBASE_TOKEN from a blog.
Step 2: Advanced Trade (only if you need your balances)
Coinbase.com → profile → Settings or API → Advanced Trade / API keys → create.
- Nickname:
first-app read - Permissions: View only. Not Trade. Not Transfer.
- IP allowlist if you have a stable server IP. Skip it on a laptop that changes cafes.
Secret shown once. Same .env ritual.
Step 3: Vercel and the agent
Same names in Vercel Production. Redeploy.
Read .env.example for Coinbase names. Do not ask me to paste values.
Payments instead of crypto? Stripe API keys. A worker that calls this on a schedule comes after Workers. Projects that use the key are not this page.
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