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API keys: connect your account to external tools

GW2 API Key

At a glance

An API key lets an external tool read information about your account. You need one to view your bank and characters on GW2Efficiency, but not to look up public prices or recipes.

What is an API key?

ArenaNet provides a public API through which websites and apps can read account information such as inventory, currencies, achievements, and character equipment. An API key acts as an access pass for requests that need your account data.

When you give a tool your key, it asks ArenaNet for the account data that the key permits. ArenaNet checks the key and returns only the allowed information. The key is separate from your login password; it cannot control your character or change account settings.

How it differs from a password
An API key provides read-only access. It cannot move your character, trade items, or change account settings. Keep the key private because it can still reveal your account data.

What uses an API key?

Here are common examples of external tools that use keys.

GW2Efficiency

View inventory, bank contents, character equipment, and achievements across your account. Use it to estimate item value, look up crafting recipes, and track legendary crafting materials.

Official GW2 Wiki: achievement progress

On pages that support API integration, distinguish achievements you have completed from those you still need.

gw2crafts.net: account for materials you own

Include materials in your bank and material storage, and recipes you have unlocked, in crafting leveling guides. The basic guides also work without a key.

Guild management tools

Bots and websites can read guild rosters, announcements, and activity records. Available records depend on API permissions and your permissions within the guild.

Official GW2 Wiki: mastery point achievements

Apply a key on Mastery point unlocks to grey out completed mastery point achievements. This helps you choose remaining achievements and check their requirements.

Discord bots

Bots may support account or character ownership checks and achievement lookups. Checking public Trading Post prices alone does not require your personal API key.

Permission types

When you create a key, choose which data it may access. Select the permissions needed for the tool you plan to use.

account
Required for every key. Provides basic data such as account name and ID, creation date, joined guilds, and assigned WvW team.
characters
Character names, levels, races, professions, and other character information. Equipment, builds, and inventory queries also need the relevant additional permissions.
inventories
Bank, material storage, character inventory, and equipment data. Character-specific queries also require permissions such as characters.
wallet
Wallet balances such as gold, karma, and laurels. Used to track currencies.
progression
PvE progress such as achievements, story, and masteries. Also needed for the Wiki's achievement completion display.
tradingpost
Pending buy and sell orders, plus up to 90 days of past Trading Post transactions.
guilds
Guild rosters, announcements, and records, subject to API and in-game guild permissions. The list of guilds you belong to is already available through account.
builds
Equipped specializations, traits, skills, and equipment across game modes. Character-specific queries also require characters.
unlocks
Unlocked skins, recipes, minis, and other unlocks. Used to track collections.
pvp
PvP statistics, match history, reward track progress, and custom arena information.
wvw
Your selected WvW guild and assigned team.

Choose permissions according to the tool's requirements, regardless of the border colors here. Every key includes account.

Creating a key, step by step

1
Open the official account page

Visit account.arena.net/applications and sign in. ArenaNet accounts use an email and password; Steam accounts select Sign in through Steam.

2
Select New Key

Select New Key to open the key creation form.

3
Name your key

Use a name that identifies its purpose, such as GW2Efficiency or Discord Bot. Tools receiving the key can read its name, so leave out personal information. Separate keys let you revoke one tool's access without affecting others.

4
Select the required permissions

Check the permissions requested by your tool. Wiki achievement tracking needs the mandatory account permission and progression. A key's permissions cannot be changed after creation; create a new key if your requirements change.

5
Select Create API Key

Select Create API Key to generate the long key string. You can view it again later under account.arena.net → Applications.

6
Copy the key into your tool

Paste the key into the tool's API Key field. You can retrieve it again from account.arena.net → Applications. If you keep a separate copy, protect it with a password manager or similar secure storage.

Managing your keys

Keep API keys private
Anyone with a key can read the account data its permissions allow. Avoid showing it in screenshots or livestreams.
  • Create a separate key for each tool. If you stop trusting a tool, you can delete just its key.
  • Leave unnecessary permissions unchecked. Grant only what the tool needs.
  • Delete unused keys. Use the delete button beside a key under account.arena.net → Applications to revoke it immediately.
  • If a key is exposed, delete it and create a replacement. The key alone cannot log into the game. If your login password was also exposed, change that password too.