---
title: stack es security create-cross-cluster-api-key cli command
description: Create a cross-cluster API key. Behaviour flags: --dry-run — validate all inputs and exit without performing any action 
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4118/reference/elastic-cli/cli/stack/es/security/create-cross-cluster-api-key
applies_to:
  - Elastic Cloud Serverless: Preview
  - Elastic Stack: Preview
---

# stack es security create-cross-cluster-api-key cli command
<cli-modifiers>
</cli-modifiers>

```bash
elastic stack es security create-cross-cluster-api-key \
  --access <access> \
  --name <name> \
  [options]
```

Create a cross-cluster API key.
**Behaviour flags:**
`--dry-run` — validate all inputs and exit without performing any action

## Options

<definitions>
  <definition term="--access string required">
    The access to be granted to this API key.
    The access is composed of permissions for cross-cluster search and cross-cluster replication.
    At least one of them must be specified. NOTE: No explicit privileges should be specified for either search or replication access.
    The creation process automatically converts the access specification to a role descriptor which has relevant privileges assigned accordingly.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--name string required">
    Specifies the name for this API key.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--expiration string">
    Expiration time for the API key.
    By default, API keys never expire.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--metadata string">
    Arbitrary metadata that you want to associate with the API key.
    It supports nested data structure.
    Within the metadata object, keys beginning with `_` are reserved for system usage.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--certificate-identity string">
    The certificate identity to associate with this API key.
    This field is used to restrict the API key to connections authenticated by a specific TLS certificate.
    The value should match the certificate's distinguished name (DN) pattern.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--error-trace">
    When set to `true` Elasticsearch will include the full stack trace of errors
    when they occur.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--filter-path string">
    Comma-separated list of filters in dot notation which reduce the response
    returned by Elasticsearch.
    **Repeatable:** pass `--filter-path` multiple times to supply more than one value
  </definition>
  <definition term="--human">
    When set to `true` will return statistics in a format suitable for humans.
    For example `"exists_time": "1h"` for humans and
    `"exists_time_in_millis": 3600000` for computers. When disabled the human
    readable values will be omitted. This makes sense for responses being consumed
    only by machines.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--pretty">
    If set to `true` the returned JSON will be "pretty-formatted". Only use
    this option for debugging only.
  </definition>
  <definition term="--input-file string">
    path to a JSON file to use as command input
  </definition>
  <definition term="--dry-run">
    validate all inputs and exit without performing any action (preview changes without applying them)
  </definition>
</definitions>


## Global Options

<definitions>
  <definition term="--json">
    output as JSON
  </definition>
</definitions>