API key for a machine account with no email

[Getzk004]

Hello,

I want to generate an API key to be used exclusively for API calls in Meraki. 

The problem with API key generation is that Meraki requires all users to have an active email account.  In my scenario I do not want to manage the overhead associated with creating a new email account.  I also do not want these API calls to be tied to my own primary userID or another real person.  Dependancy on an active email account would break my automation if that persons user account is no longer available.  The API account should be able to stand on its own  like we do in many other systems.

Is there a way to generate an API key without tieing it to an email account?

[rhbirkelund · Accepted solution]

Unfortunately, no.

There is no option to create an API key for an account that is not tied to an Email. API keys are personal.

However, what you could do is have your organization create a service account only for Meraki Automation, and generate an API key for that account. It'll still be tied to a "personal" Meraki Administrator, but it would not be tied to a specific employee.

[Getzk004]

Thanks for the confirmation.

This is what I expected to hear but I wanted to try and ask if there was a better way to do it.  I will just have to go through the effort to setup a mailbox for this task.

[Greenberet]

If your organization/mailserver supports plus adressing, then you could use that one too instead of creating a complete new mail account.

e.g. getzk004+meraki@domain.com

you will still need to create an admin account in meraki, but this should do the trick

edit:

I've just tried it out. It is working fine from meraki side

[Jake-Young]

I think your options are

• Setup a dedicated domain user as a service account, and setup an email address for that account.  Then use that email in Meraki as your API user.
• Have an email alias address added to your email account.  Then use that email alias address in Meraki as your API user.
• Have an email distribution-list created.  Add you and whoever to the distro, then use that email distribution-list address in Meraki as your API user.

From the Meraki perspective, it does not have to be a real person or a real domain account at your company.  It just has to be a valid email address that someone verifies, logs into the Dashboard and creates an API key in that profile.  I've used all three above depending on the use case.