How to Create and Update Model Access Keys
Validated on 10 Apr 2026 • Last edited on 16 Apr 2026
DigitalOcean Gradient™ AI Inference Hub provides a single control plane for managing inference workflows. It includes a Model Catalog where you can view available foundation models, including both DigitalOcean-hosted and third-party commercial models, compare capabilities and pricing, and run inference using serverless or dedicated deployments. DigitalOcean Gradient AI Inference Hub is in private preview. You can contact support for questions or assistance.
You can create and manage model access keys in the Model Access Keys section of the Serverless inference page in the DigitalOcean Control Panel or using the API. You need the key to use the serverless inference endpoints.
Create Keys
To create a model access key, click Create model access key to open the Add model access key window. In the Key name field, enter a name for your model access key, then click Add model access key.
Your new model access key with its creation date appears in the Model Access Keys section. The secret key is visible only once, immediately after creation, so copy and store it securely.
Model access keys are private and incur usage-based charges. Do not share them or expose them in front-end code. We recommend storing them using a secrets manager (for example, AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, or 1Password) or a secure environment variable in your deployment configuration.
Rename Keys
Renaming a model access key can help you organize and manage your keys more effectively, especially when using multiple keys for different projects or environments.
To rename a key, click … to the right of the key in the list to open the key’s menu, then click Rename. In the Rename model access key window that opens, in the Key name field, enter a new name for your key and then click UPDATE.
Regenerate Keys
Regenerating a model access key creates a new secret key and immediately and permanently invalidates the previous one. If a key has been compromised or you want to rotate keys for security purposes, regenerate the key, then update any applications using the previous key to use the new key.
To regenerate a key, click … to the right of the key in the list to open the key’s menu, then click Regenerate. In the Regenerate model access key window that opens, enter the name of your key to confirm the action, then click Regenerate access key. Your new secret key is displayed in the Model Access Keys section.
Delete Keys
Deleting a model access key permanently and irreversibly destroys it. Any applications using a destroyed key lose access to the API.
To delete a key, click … to the right of the key in the list to open the key’s menu, then click Delete. In the Delete model access key window that opens, type the name of the key to confirm the deletion, then click Delete access key.