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

# Generate Key

Generates a cryptographically secure 256-bit (32-byte) encryption key suitable for creating encrypted indexes.

```python theme={null}
@staticmethod
generate_key(save: bool = False) -> bytes
```

### Parameters

| Parameter | Type   | Default | Description                                                                 |
| --------- | ------ | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `save`    | `bool` | `False` | Whether to save/load the generated key to/from a file on your local machine |

### Returns

`bytes`: A 32-byte object containing cryptographically secure random data suitable for index encryption.

### Security Notes

The generated key is cryptographically secure and suitable for production use:

* Uses Python's `secrets.token_bytes()` which leverages OS entropy sources for maximum security
* Provides 256 bits of entropy (32 bytes)
* Compatible with AES-256 encryption used by CyborgDB
* If `save=True`, the key is stored in the file `~/.cyborgdb/index_key` for future retrieval

<Warning>
  This key must be persisted securely. For more information, see [Managing Encryption Keys](../../guides/advanced/managing-keys).
</Warning>

### Example Usage

```python theme={null}
from cyborgdb import Client

client = Client(base_url='http://localhost:8000', api_key='your-api-key')

# Generate a secure encryption key
index_key = client.generate_key(save=True)
print(f'Generated key length: {len(index_key)}')  # Output: 32

index = client.create_index(
    'my-secure-index',
    index_key,
)

# IMPORTANT: Store the key securely for future access
# key_hex = index_key.hex()
# print(f'Store this key safely: {key_hex}')
```