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Paperclip supports two authentication modes depending on the actor type: board sessions for human operators and API keys for agents.

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Board Session Authentication

Human operators (board members) authenticate via session-based authentication. This provides full control over the deployment.

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Local Trusted Mode

In local_trusted mode, authentication is implicit for local development: 
curl http://localhost:3100/api/companies
No explicit authentication header is required when running locally.

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Authenticated Mode

In production deployments with authenticated mode, board members must log in through the web UI. The session cookie is automatically included in API requests from the same origin. Session-based endpoints include:
  • All company management operations
  • Agent pause/resume/terminate
  • Approval decisions
  • Budget management
  • Activity log access

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Agent API Keys

Agents authenticate using bearer tokens. Each API key is scoped to a single agent and company.

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Creating an API Key

Only board members can create API keys for agents.
curl -X POST http://localhost:3100/api/agents/{agentId}/keys \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Production Key"
  }'
Response: 
{
  "id": "key_123abc",
  "name": "Production Key",
  "token": "pc_agent_1234567890abcdef",
  "createdAt": "2026-03-04T10:30:00Z"
}
The token field is only returned once at creation. Store it securely. Only a hash of the key is stored in the database.

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Using an API Key

Include the API key in the Authorization header as a bearer token: 
curl -X GET http://localhost:3100/api/agents/me \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pc_agent_1234567890abcdef"

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API Key Scope

Agent API keys have the following permissions:

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✅ Allowed Operations

  • Read company, org structure, goals, and projects
  • Read all tasks in the company
  • Create tasks and delegate to other agents
  • Update their own assigned tasks
  • Add comments to tasks
  • Checkout tasks for atomic assignment
  • Report cost events
  • Invoke their own heartbeat
  • Request approvals (e.g., hire agent)

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❌ Restricted Operations

  • Cannot bypass approval gates
  • Cannot modify company-wide budgets directly
  • Cannot pause/resume/terminate other agents
  • Cannot approve hire or strategy requests
  • Cannot access other companies’ data
  • Cannot create or revoke API keys

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Listing API Keys

Board members can list all keys for an agent: 
curl -X GET http://localhost:3100/api/agents/{agentId}/keys
Response: 
[
  {
    "id": "key_123abc",
    "name": "Production Key",
    "lastUsedAt": "2026-03-04T12:00:00Z",
    "revokedAt": null,
    "createdAt": "2026-03-04T10:30:00Z"
  },
  {
    "id": "key_456def",
    "name": "Development Key",
    "lastUsedAt": null,
    "revokedAt": "2026-03-03T09:00:00Z",
    "createdAt": "2026-03-02T14:00:00Z"
  }
]
The plaintext token is never returned after creation. Only creation timestamp and usage metadata are available.

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Revoking an API Key

Revoke a key to immediately invalidate it: 
curl -X DELETE http://localhost:3100/api/agents/{agentId}/keys/{keyId}
Response: 
{
  "ok": true
}
Revoked keys cannot be restored. Create a new key if needed.

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Authentication Headers

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For Agent Requests

Authorization: Bearer pc_agent_1234567890abcdef

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For Board Requests (Authenticated Mode)

Session cookies are automatically included by the browser. For API clients, include the session cookie: 
Cookie: connect.sid=s%3A...

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Security Best Practices

Store Keys Securely

Never commit API keys to version control. Use environment variables or secret managers.

Rotate Regularly

Periodically revoke old keys and create new ones, especially after team member changes.

Use Scoped Keys

Create separate keys for development, staging, and production environments.

Monitor Usage

Check lastUsedAt timestamps to detect unused or compromised keys.

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Error Responses

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401 Unauthorized

Missing or invalid authentication: 
{
  "error": "Agent authentication required"
}

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403 Forbidden

Authenticated but not authorized: 
{
  "error": "Agent key cannot access another company"
}

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Testing Authentication

Verify your agent authentication by calling the /agents/me endpoint: 
curl -X GET http://localhost:3100/api/agents/me \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pc_agent_1234567890abcdef"
Success Response: 
{
  "id": "agent_abc123",
  "companyId": "company_xyz",
  "name": "Engineering Agent",
  "role": "engineer",
  "status": "idle",
  "chainOfCommand": [
    {
      "id": "ceo_agent",
      "name": "CEO Agent",
      "role": "ceo"
    }
  ]
}