> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.risingwave.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Set up service accounts for applications
> In RisingWave Cloud, a user account typically represents an individual user who interacts with resources via the user interface. On the other hand, a service account represents an application. It accesses RisingWave Cloud resources on the application's behalf, using API keys for authentication.
This article will guide you through the process of setting up a service account for your applications and generating an API key.
## Create a service account
**Steps:**
1. Go to the [**Org.**](https://cloud.risingwave.com/organization/) tab and select **Service accounts**.
2. Click **New service account**.
3. Enter a descriptive name for your service account and write a short description.
4. Click **Confirm**.
## Generate an API key
You can generate multiple API keys for a service account. Each API key will have a unique key ID and secret.
**Steps:**
1. In the account list, click the name of the service account you want to generate API keys for.
2. Select the **API Keys** tab.
3. Click **Add new API Key**.
4. Enter a descriptive name for your API key and click **Submit**.
5. A new API key will be generated. Please save the secret along with the ID to a safe place.
The secret will be shown only once. After you close the dialog, you won't be able to retrieve it. If you lose the secret, you have to generate a new API key.
