Sources

A source is a named collection point for events within a workspace. Each source has a unique ingest key that authorizes event submission. Think of sources as logical channels — you might have one source per service, per environment, or per job type.

Ingest keys

Each source is assigned a single ingest key when it’s created. Ingest keys are:

• 48 characters long
• Globally unique — no two sources across all of Ackly share the same key
• Passed as a header — Authorization: Bearer <key> on every POST /api/ingest request

Keeping keys secure

Treat ingest keys like API secrets — anyone with a key can send events to your workspace. Keep them safe by:

• Storing them in environment variables or a secrets manager
• Injecting them at runtime rather than hardcoding
• Keeping them out of client-side code (browser JS, mobile apps)
• Excluding them from version control and logs

Key rotation

If a key is compromised, you can rotate it from the Sources page in Ackly. Rotating a key:

1. Revokes the old key immediately, protecting your workspace right away
2. Generates a fresh 48-character key for the source
3. Preserves all previously ingested events — nothing is lost

After rotating, update the key in any services that use it before the next event is sent.

Source limits

The number of sources per tenant depends on your plan:

If you’ve reached your plan’s source limit, upgrade to add more sources.