> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.nscale.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Service tokens

> Service Tokens (JWTs) provide scoped, time‑limited access for non‑human clients (e.g. backend services, cron jobs). Each token is a signed JSON Web Token that your services can present to authenticate against the Nscale API.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/nscale/brZSlQQ_eSjy7uhb/images/service-tokens.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=brZSlQQ_eSjy7uhb&q=85&s=91b4edaf04b7f058cdad1cc74aa4d097" className="rounded-lg" width="3024" height="1390" data-path="images/service-tokens.png" />

## Steps to generate a Service Token

The creation flow looks like this:

1. Navigate to **Settings → Service Tokens**.
2. Click **Create Service Token**.
3. Name your token.
4. Copy the token now—you won’t be able to view it again.

<Note>Tokens can be rotated (regenerated) at any time without changing the Token ID or its access. Make sure you update your secret store with the new value.</Note>

## Refreshing a Service Token

If you need a new JWT (e.g. a token was compromised or lost):

1. Find the token in the list and select **Rotate** from the table row actions.
2. Confirm the action.
3. Copy the new token immediately—you won’t see it again.

## Best Practices & Security

* **Secure Storage**

  Keep Service Tokens in an encrypted vault (e.g. AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault).

* **Rotate Regularly**

  Refresh tokens before expiry to limit the impact of a leak.

* **Immediate Blacklisting**

  Revoke any token immediately upon suspicion of compromise.

***

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="CLI: Service Accounts" icon="square-terminal" href="/docs/cli/serviceaccounts">
    Manage service accounts from the command line.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>