Some groups keep a membership spreadsheet, send new waiting-list names to a chat app, or run a small script of their own. An API key lets those tools read your group's data from Scoutworks directly, so nobody has to export and copy it by hand. A group admin creates the key in Scoutworks and pastes it into the tool.
This feature is currently in beta. Turn it on in Settings → Beta Programme.
What a key can and can't do
A key can only read data. It can't change anything in Scoutworks.
Each key belongs to your group and reads only your group's data. You choose which areas it can read:
| Area | What the tool can read |
|---|---|
| Members | Names, sections, patrols and status. |
| Members: contact details | Adds dates of birth, gender, home addresses, and parent names, emails and phone numbers. |
| Events | Events, and who is going to each one. |
| Badges | Badge progress and awards, with the progress on each requirement. |
| Waiting list | Names, sections, status and position on the list. |
| Waiting list: contact details | Adds dates of birth and parent names and emails. |
The contact-details options add to an area. They do nothing on their own, so you also need to choose the area they belong to.
Whatever you choose, a key never shares health information, bank details or free-text notes.
Every key can also read your group's sections and units, and the full badge catalogue with each requirement. A sync tool uses these to file each record under the right section, and to match badges in another system.
Keys for districts and areas
A district, county or area can make its own key. A district admin goes to the district's Settings → Integrations. A district key reads totals only, such as members and waiting list figures by section, across the groups that share with the district. It never reads a member's record, and a group key cannot read district totals.
Where to find it
Open Settings from the sidebar, choose the Integrations tab, and find the API keys section. Only Group Admins can see it.
Creating a key
- Press Create API key.
- Give the key a name that says what it is for, for example "Membership spreadsheet". The name helps you tell your keys apart later.
- Under What this key can do, tick only the areas your tool needs. Each contact-details option sits under the area it adds to.
- If you want, choose a date in Expires on. After that date, the key stops working. Leave it empty for a key that doesn't expire.
- Press Create key.
Scoutworks then shows the key. You see it only once. Copy it and paste it into your tool straight away. If you lose it, revoke it and create a new one.
Checking the key works
Before you close the key, press Test connection. If the key works, you'll see "Connected to" and your group's name.
Under Next steps, you'll find links to step-by-step guides for Google Sheets, Excel, n8n, Zapier, Python and more. The guides live on our developer site at developers.scoutworks.app. You can try every guide first with a practice key that reads a demo group full of made-up Scouts. When it works, swap in your own key.
Changing or revoking a key
Open the menu on a key's row to change it:
- Edit… changes the key's name or the areas it can read. The key itself stays the same, so anything using it keeps working.
- Revoke… switches the key off straight away. You can't undo this. To reconnect the tool, create a new key.
Revoked keys move to a Revoked keys list at the bottom of the section, so you keep a record of them.
Your group can have up to 10 working keys at a time. To make another one, revoke a key you no longer use.
Keep your key safe
Treat a key like a password. Anyone who has it can read the data you allowed.
- Keep it in your tool's secure settings, not in a spreadsheet cell or a shared document.
- Never post it in an email, a chat or a public website.
- Choose only the areas the tool needs. Leave out contact details unless the tool really needs them.
- Set an expiry date for a key you need only for a short time.
- If you think someone else has seen a key, revoke it and create a new one.
Why a key stopped working
The key's row shows its status. A key stops working when:
| What happened | What to do |
|---|---|
| A group admin revoked it. | Create a new key and paste it into your tool. |
| It reached its expiry date. | Create a new key. Choose a later date, or no date. |
| The admin who created it is no longer a group admin. | A current group admin revokes it and creates a new key. The row says Stopped working. |
The last one catches people out. If the admin who made a key steps down or changes role, the key stops. When a volunteer hands over, check which keys they created.
If the tool says it isn't allowed to read something, the key is missing an area. Use Edit… to add it. You don't need a new key.
Each key can make up to 120 requests a minute. That is far more than a spreadsheet or automation normally needs. If a tool goes over, it has to wait a moment before it tries again. Set a spreadsheet to refresh once a day or once an hour, not every minute.
What's next
- Joining the Beta Programme — how to switch beta features on for your group.
- Managing Users and Roles — who is a group admin, and how to change that.
- Connecting an AI Assistant to Your Group's Data — ask Claude or another assistant about your group.
- Scoutworks developer docs — guides for Google Sheets, Excel, n8n, Zapier and code.
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What's next?
Related guidesJoining the Beta Programme
How to turn on early access to beta features for your group, see which ones are switched on, and what to expect when you opt in.
Read articleManaging Users and Roles
How to add volunteers and admins, grant the extra Trustee, Treasurer and Quartermaster permissions, resend invites, and manage access in your Scout group.
Read articleConnecting an AI Assistant to Your Group's Data
How to connect Claude, Cursor or another AI assistant to Scoutworks with an API key, so you can ask questions about your group in plain words.
Read article