• ACCESS
  • IDENTITY
  • AUDIT
  • MANUAL

How to provision consumer API keys with your AI

Connect Kong to your AI client to automate user access management. Once connected, your agent handles the heavy lifting of profile creation and key generation.

Ask AI about this page

Short answer

How can I use my AI to create Kong consumer keys?

Your AI uses Kong tools to find existing consumers and issue new API keys for them. You get a managed access layer without manually touching the Kong admin API. This setup gives you direct control over who can hit your endpoints.

The outcomes of this task.

Where your access management lands.

Your AI handles the technical handshake between users and your gateway.

ACCESS

New API keys

The AI generates unique keys for specific consumers. You get the credentials needed to authorize requests immediately.

IDENTITY

Consumer profiles

Your agent creates and manages consumer identities in Kong. This keeps your user list organized and ready for authentication.

AUDIT

Existing user lists

The AI pulls current consumer data so you can see who already has access. This helps you avoid duplicate profiles.

MANUAL

Human oversight

You decide which users deserve a profile. The AI waits for your command before it touches your Kong configuration.

The workflow

What your AI does when the request arrives.

The AI moves from identifying users to issuing the actual credentials.

  1. Identify users

    The AI checks your current Kong setup to see which consumers already exist. This prevents you from creating redundant accounts.

    list_consumers

  2. Create profile

    Once you pick a user, the AI sets up their specific consumer identity in Kong.

    list_consumers

  3. Issue key

    The AI generates a unique API key tied to that specific consumer profile.

    create_consumer_key

  4. Confirm access

    The AI verifies the key is ready for use. You can then hand the key to your user or application.

    create_consumer_key

Try it

Copy these to start.

Use these prompts to trigger the Kong tools.

Starting points

Swap the bracketed names for your actual consumer names or specific ID requirements.

Kong Connector

You're all set. Choose your MCP client and follow the setup instructions.

Connector linkhttps://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_v0JAMPJEymFJeA5BOdGXfYEBh1b3USJtcGdqANfK/mcp

Claude Desktop

Follow the steps below to connect in seconds.

  1. 1In Claude Desktop, open Settings → Connectors.
  2. 2Click “Add custom connector” and paste the connector link above as the remote MCP server URL.
  3. 3Click Add and start a new chat — Kong capabilities are ready to use.
Configuration · claude_desktop_config.jsonCopy
{
  "mcpServers": {
    "kong-ai-api-gateway-mcp": {
      "url": "https://edge.vinkius.com/vk_preview_v0JAMPJEymFJeA5BOdGXfYEBh1b3USJtcGdqANfK/mcp"
    }
  }
}
Copy into chat04

  • List all the consumers currently in Kong.

  • Create a new consumer named [Name] and give them an API key.

  • Find the consumer with the ID [ID] and generate a new key for them.

  • Check if a consumer named [Name] already exists in my gateway.

  • Claude
  • ChatGPT
  • Cursor
  • VS Code
  • Windsurf
  • Claude Code
  • JetBrains
  • Cline

Start here

Connect Kong once, then ask.

Just link your Kong instance to Vinkius. Your credentials stay encrypted, and you can start managing keys through your AI immediately.

Connect Kong to your AI

FAQ

How this task behaves.

  • 01

    Can the AI delete consumers?

    No. This MCP only has tools to list consumers and create keys. It cannot delete or modify existing consumer data.

  • 02

    Will the AI change my existing API routes?

    No. The AI only interacts with consumer profiles and keys. It has no capability to touch your routes or services.

  • 03

    Does the AI store my API keys?

    No. The AI uses the tools to generate the keys for you, but it doesn't save them in a database for later retrieval.

  • 04

    Can I use this to manage plugins?

    No. This specific task is limited to consumer management and key provisioning.

  • 05

    How do I know if a consumer already exists?

    You can ask your AI to list all consumers first to verify their presence before requesting a new key.

  • More questions about Kong? The Connector page answers them. See everything the Kong Connector can do

Connect Kong to Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT & more