Introducing the Chargebee CLI
chargebee docs

What are brightback-read_write-api-key and rev_lock_read_only_key on my Chargebee site?

Problem Statement

You see API keys named brightback-read_write-api-key or rev_lock_read_only_key under Settings > Configure Chargebee > API Keys and Webhooks > API keys, or as the user value on Logs > Events, and you want to know whether they belong to your team or to a Chargebee product integration.

  • An event or activity log shows an API source with one of these key names instead of a user email.
  • You are auditing API keys and do not remember creating a key with one of these names.

Solution

These names are default Chargebee product integration keys. Chargebee Billing creates them automatically when you connect Chargebee Retention or Chargebee RevRec to your site. They are not keys you chose when building a custom integration.

  • brightback-read_write-api-key — created when you connect Chargebee Retention to Billing (see Chargebee Retention integration). Chargebee Retention uses it to call your Billing site with read-write access for retention flows.
  • rev_lock_read_only_key — created for Chargebee RevRec. Chargebee RevRec uses it to read billing data from your site. The key name reflects legacy RevLock integration naming.

For the full list of default names, key types, and guidance on disabling or deleting integration keys, see Chargebee product integration keys on the API keys page.

To confirm a key on your site:

  1. Go to Settings > Configure Chargebee > API Keys and Webhooks > API keys.
  2. Find the key card that matches the name.
  3. Open Logs > Events, filter for a recent change, and check whether the event user value matches that key name.

If the key is present and you use Chargebee Retention or Chargebee RevRec, the name is expected.

Important Notes

  • Do not delete or disable brightback-read_write-api-key or rev_lock_read_only_key while Chargebee Retention or Chargebee RevRec is still connected. Doing so can interrupt retention or revenue recognition data flows.
  • If you no longer use the product, disconnect or offboard the product first, then review whether the integration key can be removed following your security policy.
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