Getting started
Authentication
The Pastepile MCP server works anonymously, and an API key turns it into a private memory layer with per-key isolation and higher limits.
2 min read · Updated
Every tool works without any credentials. Adding a free API key changes what the server can see and how much it can do:
| Anonymous | With an API key | |
|---|---|---|
| Save pastes | Yes | Yes, into your private namespace |
| Search and list scope | Public corpus only | mine by default: your pastes, including unlisted |
| Isolation | n/a | Per key hash; one key can never see another key's pastes |
| Never-expiring saves | Yes | Free keys: default falls back to 1mo; Pro keys: yes |
| Rate limits | Shared per-IP budget | Per-key budget; Pro is 4x |
Get a key
- Generate a key at pastepile.com/keys. It is free and needs no account.
- Copy the key immediately: only its hash is stored, so it is shown exactly once.
- Set it as
PASTEPILE_API_KEYin your MCP client'senvblock (see Quick start) and restart the client.
"env": { "PASTEPILE_API_KEY": "pk_live_..." }The server sends the key as an X-API-Key header on every request. It is read from the environment once and never logged, echoed to the model, or written to disk.
Key hygiene
- Use one key per assistant or machine so revoking one surface never breaks another.
- Keep keys in the client's
envblock or a secrets manager, never in prompts. A private repo's committed.mcp.jsonis a team decision; make it consciously. - Rotate by generating a new key, updating the env, and revoking the old key at /keys.
- Revocation is immediate: the next request with a revoked key is rejected.
Pro access keys
A Pastepile Pro subscription includes a Pro access key. Link it on the API keys page and the API key it mints runs on the pro plan: never-expiring saves by default, 25 MB pastes, and 120 requests per minute. If the subscription ends, linked keys return to the free plan automatically; nothing breaks, limits just tighten.