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The Axion MCP Server authenticates every request to the Axion API using an API key. You pass the key as an environment variable, and the server attaches it to each outbound request automatically.

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Get an API key

Go to the API keys dashboard and create a new key. Give it a descriptive name so you can identify it later (for example, claude-desktop-local). A free tier is available with no credit card required. Free tier keys have rate limits; see the dashboard for details on your plan.

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Set the environment variable

The server reads your key from the API_KEY environment variable. You set this variable inside your MCP client’s configuration — not in your shell profile — so the server process receives it at startup.
claude_desktop_config.json
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "axion-financial-data": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["/absolute/path/to/node_modules/@axionquant/mcp/index.js"],
      "env": {
        "API_KEY": "your_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

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How the key is used

The server appends your key to every HTTP request it makes to https://api.axionquant.com/ using a Bearer token header: 
Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>
You never need to construct this header yourself. If API_KEY is missing or empty, requests will fail with a 401 Unauthorized response.

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Security best practices

Never commit your API key to source control. If you accidentally expose a key in a public repository, rotate it immediately from the API keys dashboard.
  • Store the key only in your MCP client configuration file, which lives outside your project repository.
  • Do not hard-code the key in scripts, .env files that get committed, or any file tracked by git.
  • Use a separate key for each environment or client so you can revoke individual keys without disrupting other integrations.

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Rotate a key

If you believe a key has been compromised, or you want to rotate it as a routine security measure:
  1. Go to the API keys dashboard.
  2. Create a new key.
  3. Update the API_KEY value in your MCP client configuration.
  4. Restart the MCP client so the server picks up the new key.
  5. Delete the old key from the dashboard.

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