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

# Membership

> Add users, robots, and API keys to grants so they can call tools through the gateway.

## Overview

Membership is how identities get attached to [grants](https://www.aptible.com/docs/mcp-gateway/grants.md). The gateway supports three types of members:

| Type | What it is | How it authenticates |
| - | - | - |
| **User** | A person with an Aptible account | Session token or user API key |
| **Robot** | A non-human account for pipelines and agents | Robot API key (bearer token) |
| **API Key** | A scoped token tied to a user account | Bearer token |

All three types are added to grants the same way and are subject to the same access rules. Every call they make is written to the [audit log](https://www.aptible.com/docs/mcp-gateway/audit-logs.md).

> [!NOTE]
>
> Account Owner or Admin permission is required to add and manage users and robots. Any user can create their own API key.

## Robots

Robots are non-human accounts for automated pipelines and agents. They authenticate to the gateway with a bearer token and are attached to grants the same way user accounts are. Everything a robot calls is checked against its grants and written to the audit log.

![MCP Robots](https://mintcdn.com/aptible/hQ2bFHGVxNRuw0z6/images/MCP-Robots-1.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=hQ2bFHGVxNRuw0z6\&q=85\&s=3d20530d81faf558f0e50c794003184d)

> [accordion] Create a robot (Admins only)
>
> **1. Open the Robots page**
>
> In the Aptible dashboard, navigate to **MCP > Robots**.
>
> **2. Create the robot**
>
> Enter a name and click **Create Robot User**.
>
> **3. Generate an API key**
>
> Open the robot and click **+ Create API Key** to generate a token.

Robots appear in the **Users & Robots** selector on the Grant Details panel. Add them to a grant the same way you'd add a user.

## User API Keys

Any user can create an API key to authenticate to the gateway without using their Aptible session token. In the Aptible dashboard, navigate to **MCP > API Keys** to create and manage them.

![MCP API Key](https://mintcdn.com/aptible/PDjQoX1Dzfs96Mzz/images/MCP---API-Key.png?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=PDjQoX1Dzfs96Mzz\&q=85\&s=679979fa31876e0e6f2a1cf26f59867e)

## Authenticating to the Gateway

Both robot tokens and user API keys are passed as a bearer token in the `Authorization` header when connecting an MCP client to the gateway endpoint:

```text theme={null}
Authorization: Bearer <token>
```

For a full walkthrough of how to connect your MCP client to the gateway, see [Connecting to MCP Gateway](https://www.aptible.com/docs/mcp-gateway/connect.md).

## Related

> [card] [Connecting to MCP Gateway](https://www.aptible.com/docs/mcp-gateway/connect.md)
>
> Step-by-step guide for end users to get connected.

> [card] [Grants](https://www.aptible.com/docs/mcp-gateway/grants.md)
>
> Attach members to a grant to give them tool access.