# Whop API key: where to find it and how to get one > How to get a Whop API key: open Developer, create an Account API key, scope it, and paste it into WooCommerce with your Account ID. Sandbox and live. Updated: 2026-11-11 · Canonical: https://whopforwoo.com/docs/whop-api-key Your Whop API key lives on the **Developer** page of your Whop dashboard (`whop.com/dashboard/developer`), in the **Account API Keys** section. Select **Create**, name the key, copy it immediately and store it on your server: it acts as your whole business. To connect Whop to WooCommerce you need two values: the **API key** (secret) and your **Account ID** (`biz_…`, formerly called Company ID). Here is how to get both, for sandbox and for live. ## How to get a Whop API key, step by step ### 1. Open the Developer page Sign in to Whop and open **Dashboard → Developer**, or go straight to `whop.com/dashboard/developer`. For testing, use the sandbox dashboard at `sandbox.whop.com/dashboard/developer` instead. The sandbox needs its own account; your whop.com login doesn't carry over. ![Whop dashboard Developer page with the Account API Keys section](https://whopforwoo.com/img/whop-developer-api-keys.png) ### 2. Create an Account API key In **Account API Keys**, select **Create**. Give the key a name that says where it's used, for example `WooCommerce – mystore.com`. One key per store makes it easy to revoke a single site later. Whop has two kinds of API keys. You want an **Account API key**, which authenticates your server as your own business. An App API key is for developers building apps that other Whop businesses install. ![Create API key dialog in the Whop dashboard](https://whopforwoo.com/img/whop-create-api-key.png) ### 3. Choose the permissions Whop's quickstart uses the **Admin** role to get started, then recommends a **custom permission set** that covers only the endpoints you call before you go to production. Admin works for a first test. Once your store takes payments correctly, narrow the key and run a sandbox payment again to check nothing broke. ### 4. Copy the key and keep it secret Copy the key when Whop shows it. Treat it like a bank password: - never paste it into front-end code, a theme file or a public repository - never send it by email or in a support chat - if it leaks, delete it in the dashboard and create a new one ### 5. Find your Account ID Your Account ID is the identifier of your Whop business and starts with `biz_`. Older Whop screens and tutorials call it **Company ID**: it's the same value. You'll find it in your Whop dashboard (it also appears in the dashboard URL). ## Where to paste the API key in WooCommerce 1. In WordPress, open **WooCommerce → Settings → Payments → Whop**. 2. Paste the key into **API Key** and the `biz_…` value into **Account ID**. 3. Leave **Sandbox Mode** on if you used a sandbox key. Turn it off only with a production key. 4. Save. Then set up the webhook and paste its secret into **Webhook Secret**: see [Whop webhooks](https://whopforwoo.com/docs/whop-webhooks). ![WhopForWoo settings with API Key, Account ID and Sandbox Mode fields](https://whopforwoo.com/img/whopforwoo-api-key-field.png) WhopForWoo stores the key server side. It is never sent to the browser and never written to logs. The plugin only talks to `api.whop.com` (or `sandbox-api.whop.com` in sandbox mode) and, for currency conversion, `open.er-api.com`. ## Sandbox key vs live key | | Sandbox | Production | |---|---|---| | Where to create it | `sandbox.whop.com/dashboard/developer` | `whop.com/dashboard/developer` | | API it works with | `sandbox-api.whop.com/api/v1` | `api.whop.com/api/v1` | | Money | Never moves | Real | | WhopForWoo setting | Sandbox Mode **on** | Sandbox Mode **off** | The two environments share nothing: accounts, keys, products and webhooks are separate, and the keys look identical. Going live means creating a second key, a second webhook and a second secret on whop.com, then swapping all three values. Never reuse a sandbox value in production. More in [Whop sandbox](https://whopforwoo.com/docs/whop-sandbox). ## "Invalid API key" and other errors - **401 Unauthorized**: the key is wrong, revoked, or from the other environment. Check that Sandbox Mode matches where you created the key. - **403 Forbidden**: the key exists but its permissions don't cover the call. Widen the permission set, or test with Admin to confirm. - **Payment form doesn't load**: often a cached checkout page rather than the key. **Whop → Status & Tools** has a checkout cache test. Other symptoms are covered in [Whop payment issues](https://whopforwoo.com/whop-payment-issues). ## Next step With the key, the Account ID and the webhook secret in place, your WooCommerce checkout can take Whop payments with the form embedded on your own page. The install video (V01) walks through the whole setup in about five minutes. Get WhopForWoo: https://whopforwoo.com/pricing ## FAQ ### Where do I find my Whop API key? In your Whop dashboard, open the Developer page (whop.com/dashboard/developer) and look under Account API Keys. Whop shows the full key when you create it, so copy it right away. ### How do I get a Whop API key? Go to whop.com/dashboard/developer, select Create in the Account API Keys section, name the key and choose its permissions. For a sandbox key, do the same at sandbox.whop.com/dashboard/developer. ### Is the Whop API key the same as the Account ID or Company ID? No. The API key is a secret that authenticates your server. The Account ID is the public biz_ identifier of your business; Whop used to call it Company ID. WhopForWoo needs both. ### Can I use a sandbox API key on my live store? No. Sandbox and production share no accounts, keys or webhooks, and the keys look identical. A sandbox key only works against sandbox-api.whop.com, so keep Sandbox Mode on while you use one. ### What permissions should the API key have? Whop's own quickstart uses the Admin role for testing and recommends switching to a custom permission set that covers only the endpoints you call before going to production. ## Related - [Whop API: how it works and how WooCommerce uses it](https://whopforwoo.com/docs/whop-api): Whop API explained: base URL, Bearer auth, dated versions, rate limits, pagination and webhooks, plus the calls a WooCommerce store needs to take payments. - [Whop webhook: setup, payment events and webhook secret](https://whopforwoo.com/docs/whop-webhooks): Set up a Whop webhook for WooCommerce: endpoint URL, payment.succeeded event, where to get the webhook secret, signature checks, retries and testing. - [Whop sandbox API: test payments before going live](https://whopforwoo.com/docs/whop-sandbox): Whop sandbox API explained: URLs, test API keys, test cards, what doesn't work in sandbox, and how to test a WooCommerce checkout without real money. - [Whop payment gateway: use Whop to take payments on WooCommerce](https://whopforwoo.com/whop-payment-gateway): Is Whop a payment gateway? Whop is a payment platform and merchant of record. Here is how it works as a WooCommerce gateway and which API calls it uses. - [Whop payment issues: causes and fixes](https://whopforwoo.com/whop-payment-issues): Whop payment issues fixed: card declines, 3D Secure, missing payment methods, Apple Pay not showing, form not loading, and paid orders not updating. - [WhopForWoo pricing](https://whopforwoo.com/pricing): WhopForWoo pricing: Solo $129, Dropshipper (5 sites) $249, Pirate (unlimited) $499. One-time payment, updates included. 14-day refund.