Before you can use the Checkly CLI, you need to authenticate with your Checkly account.

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Login

The primary way to authenticate is using the interactive login command:
Terminal
npx checkly login
This command will:
  • Open your default browser to the Checkly authentication page
  • Prompt you to log in to your Checkly account
  • Generate an API key that the CLI will use for authentication
  • Store the credentials securely on your local machine

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Log Out

To log out and clear your stored credentials:
Terminal
npx checkly logout
This will remove the stored API key from your local machine.

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Other Authentication Options

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Environment Variables

You can also authenticate using environment variables, which is useful for CI/CD pipelines and automated environments: To get your API key:
  1. Log in to your Checkly dashboard
  2. Navigate to Account Settings → API Keys
  3. Create a new API key
  4. Use the key in your environment variables or CLI configuration
Set the account id and API key as follows:
Terminal
# Set your Checkly API key
export CHECKLY_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

# Set your Checkly account ID (optional, CLI will detect automatically)
export CHECKLY_ACCOUNT_ID=your_account_id_here
To verify you’re properly authenticated:
Terminal
npx checkly whoami
This will display your account information and confirm your authentication status.

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Multiple Accounts

If you work with multiple Checkly accounts, you can switch between them:
Terminal
# Switch to a different account using interactive prompt
npx checkly switch

# Switch to a different account using the account id
npx checkly switch --account-id your_account_id

# View current account
npx checkly whoami

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Security Best Practices

  • Never commit API keys to version control
  • Use environment variables in production environments
  • Rotate API keys regularly for security

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Troubleshooting

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Common Issues

“Authentication failed” error:
  • Verify your API key is correct
  • Check that your account ID is correct (if specified)
  • Ensure your API key hasn’t expired
“Browser didn’t open” error:
  • Decline to open the browser automatically and navigate to the authentication URL shown in the terminal
  • Copy and paste the URL into your browser