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Cloudways says its legacy API key is scheduled to reach end of life on October 15, 2026, so GitHub Actions workflows that still rely on it need a migration plan. The key detail: an Access Token is not automatically interchangeable with an API key in every GitHub Action. Inventory your workflow, create a dedicated token with the permissions it needs, store it as a GitHub Actions secret, confirm your integration supports token authentication, then test deployment before removing the old key.
What changes, and when?
Cloudways’ Access Token guidance sets October 15, 2026 as the scheduled end-of-life date for the legacy API key. An integration that still depends on that key may stop authenticating after retirement. Check the Cloudways token guide for the current policy and status before scheduling a production change, since retirement timelines can change.
Access Tokens can be created for individual integrations, assigned scopes and expiry periods, and revoked independently. Cloudways recommends Limited Access for most integrations, but currently labels it Beta; the available endpoints may change. Select only the permissions the deployment actually needs, and do not assume a required Git operation is covered until you check the current permission options.
First, confirm how your workflow authenticates
Search the repository’s workflow and deployment configuration for CLOUDWAYS_API_KEY, api-key, and Cloudways API request code. Check every repository and environment that deploys through Cloudways, then identify whether each workflow uses a Marketplace action or calls the API itself. Credential names and authentication methods can differ between integrations.
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This compatibility check matters because the Cloudways API Git Pull Marketplace listing reviewed here documents the legacy CLOUDWAYS_API_KEY secret and an api-key input. That listing does not establish that the action accepts a new Access Token. Check the exact action version and its source or documentation for explicit Access Token support before changing the credential value. See the Cloudways API Git Pull Marketplace listing. Cloudways’ API v2 overview provides background, but request syntax and supported authentication should come from current Cloudways API documentation.
Create and store a dedicated Access Token
- Open Cloudways API Integration. Cloudways says this interface is available to the primary account owner. Create a token named for the GitHub Actions workflow so its purpose is clear.
- Choose expiry and permissions. Set an expiry consistent with your credential-rotation policy. Prefer Limited Access and select the required Git deployment operation if it is currently available. Limited Access is Beta; if the needed operation is missing, verify the current API and action behavior instead of granting broad access by default.
- Copy the token immediately. Cloudways displays the complete value only once. It cannot later be viewed, retrieved, or regenerated. If you lose it, create a replacement and update the integration.
- Add it to GitHub Actions secrets. Store the value as a repository, environment, or organization secret, depending on which workflows need it and your access-control model. GitHub documents these secret types in its Actions secrets guidance.
Reference the secret from the workflow only through the input or authentication mechanism the action or API integration explicitly supports. Do not hard-code the token in YAML, commit it, print it to logs, or place it in a public URL.
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Update the integration and test a deployment
Use the path that matches your workflow’s authentication implementation:
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- Change or customize the workflow if the action supports only the legacy key. Make API requests only through a documented Cloudways authentication method, and account for secret handling, least-privilege permissions, and useful failure diagnostics.
After updating the integration, run it against a safe branch or staging target when available. Confirm both that authentication succeeds and that the expected deployment completes. The Cloudways API Playground can test operations, but Cloudways warns that its actions affect the authenticated account; use care and a test server where possible.
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Remove the old key after the new path works
Once the controlled deployment succeeds, remove the legacy key from GitHub secrets and any other stored configuration used by the workflow. Review other consumers before deleting or revoking shared credentials. Revoke Access Tokens that are unused or exposed; Cloudways says revocation disables a token immediately, so confirm that no active integration still depends on it.
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HTTP 401: authentication failed
Check that the token was copied correctly and remains valid, unexpired, and unrevoked. An expired or revoked token cannot authenticate. If the token was lost, create a replacement, update the GitHub secret, and rerun the workflow. Cloudways describes these causes in its Git auto-deployment guide.
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HTTP 403: permission or webhook issue
Check the token’s permission for the Git pull operation and, where the deployment uses a webhook, verify the webhook secret independently. Cloudways identifies an incorrect webhook secret or insufficient Git permission as possible causes.
The action still asks for an API key
Do not assume the token will work merely because you put it in the old secret slot. The Marketplace listing documents legacy credential names; verify the specific action version’s current documentation and source for Access Token support. If it does not support tokens, use a supported integration path rather than relabeling the secret.
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The token expired or was lost
An expired token stops authenticating, and a lost token cannot be retrieved. Create a new token, replace the GitHub secret, test deployment, then revoke the old token when it is no longer needed.
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