If we are building your dashboard and one of your data sources is MailerLite, we will ask you for your "MailerLite API token" (MailerLite's name for an API key). If you have never fetched one before, do not worry. This guide explains what it is, why we need it, and then walks you through getting one, one click at a time. No technical knowledge is assumed.
New to APIs, or never fetched a key before? Start with our plain-English explainer on the Guides front page, then come back here when you are ready.
What is an API token, and why do we need it?
Your MailerLite account is protected by your password, and normally that is exactly what you want. But your dashboard needs to fetch data on its own, on a schedule, and nobody is available to type your password each time.
An API token is a long random string of letters and numbers. It acts like a password for software. When your dashboard asks MailerLite for data, it presents this token, and MailerLite trusts it just like a logged-in user.
Three important things about the token:
- It is created inside your MailerLite account. Only you (or someone with access to your account) can make one, which is why we have to ask you.
- It is secret, and shown only once. MailerLite does not store tokens in plain text, so the token appears exactly once at creation. If you lose it, you make a new one. Anyone who has the token can read your email data, so treat it like a banking password, not like your wifi password.
- It is personal. You can only see the tokens you generated yourself. Even another admin of your account cannot see yours, and if the person who created a token leaves the account, that token stops working.
What you need before you start
- Your MailerLite login (email and password) at mailerlite.com.
- Access to the account that will be connected to the dashboard. If several people can log in to your MailerLite, use the account you expect to keep long term, because tokens belong to the person who created them.
You do not need any special software. Everything happens in your normal web browser.
Step-by-step: generating your MailerLite API token
These steps come straight from MailerLite's official help centre and developer documentation, and are current as of September 2026.
Step 1: Log in to MailerLite
Open your browser, go to mailerlite.com, and log in as usual. You will land on your MailerLite dashboard.
Step 2: Open the Integrations page
In the left-hand sidebar, click Integrations.
Step 3: Find the MailerLite API card and click Use
Scroll or search for the card called MailerLite API. You will see two or three options there: the standard API (for integrating with other applications), an E-commerce API (for connecting an external shop), and Webhooks. Click Use next to the standard API. The E-commerce API is for shop connections, not for reporting dashboards.
Step 4: Click Generate new token
You will see a button marked Generate new token. Click it.
Step 5: Name the token
Type a short name describing what this token is for, e.g. Xenium Designs Dashboard. This does not affect anything technically; it is just a label so you can recognise later which token belongs to which connection. If you ever create several tokens, the names are how you tell them apart.
Step 6: IP restrictions
Next you may be offered IP restrictions, a setting that limits the token so it only works from specific internet addresses (an "IP allowlist"). Our dashboard runs on a standard web host without a guaranteed fixed address, so unless we have explicitly told you otherwise, leave this open (no restrictions). Choosing the wrong addresses here would silently break the dashboard connection.
Step 7: Click Create token, then copy the key
Click Create token. MailerLite now shows your key, a long random string. Copy it right away, or click Download to save it as a text file, then paste it somewhere safe such as a password manager, and send it to us securely, or paste it wherever we have asked you to send it.
This is the only time you will see it
MailerLite does not store the key in plain text, so after this screen the token can never be fetched again. If it is lost, the only fix is to create a replacement token and give the new one to whoever needed the old one.
Step-by-step in short form
For reference, once you are familiar:
- Log in to MailerLite.
- Left sidebar: Integrations.
- Find MailerLite API, click Use.
- Click: Generate new token.
- Name it, e.g. Xenium Designs Dashboard.
- Leave IP restrictions open unless told otherwise.
- Click: Create token.
- Copy (or download) the key immediately into a password manager and send it to us.
Troubleshooting
"I do not see a Generate new token button"
Make sure you are inside the standard MailerLite API card (not the E-commerce one) and that you clicked Use first to expand it. Also confirm you are logged in with the right account. If your organisation runs more than one MailerLite account, check the account name in the corner of the screen.
"I created a token but the dashboard is not picking up data"
The usual causes are: a stray space before or after the token when it was copied, IP restrictions were left on, or the token belongs to a different MailerLite account than the one holding your subscribers. The token is one long string with no spaces; compare it carefully, or simply create a fresh token and send only the new one.
"Someone else created our token and has now left the company"
MailerLite binds each token to the person who created it. When that person is removed from the account, their tokens stop working. The fix is simple: the person still managing the account creates a fresh token following the steps above, and gives the replacement to us.
"I think my token has been exposed somewhere"
Do not panic. On the same Integrations → MailerLite API page you can delete the exposed token and create a replacement in under a minute. Anything holding the old token loses access the moment it is deleted. Your password, subscriber list, and campaigns are untouched.
What we do with your token
Once we have it, the token lives in the configuration of your dashboard on the server, where only our scheduled data-fetching script can reach it. That script quietly asks MailerLite for your numbers and files them into your dashboard's database, so every chart you see is up to date: subscriber counts, growth, open rates, click rates. You will never see the token used anywhere, and we will never display it or paste it into any file you might later share.
Why this matters
That token is what lets your dashboard show live email marketing numbers without anyone logging in or copying anything. Setup takes under two minutes, and it is the only step we need from your side.
Ready to put it to use?
That token is all we need from MailerLite to start building your dashboard. If you have not yet got a dashboard, take a look at what we build and then get in touch.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I generate a MailerLite API token?
Log in to MailerLite, open Integrations from the left sidebar, find the MailerLite API card, click Use, then Generate new token. Give the token a name, review the IP restrictions offer, and click Create token. The key is shown once, so copy it immediately.
What are IP restrictions in MailerLite API tokens?
An optional setting limiting the token so it only works from specific internet addresses. Useful if the requesting server has a fixed address. Our dashboard uses a standard web host without a guaranteed fixed address, so leave restrictions off unless we say otherwise.
Why can I not see the API token another account admin created?
MailerLite only shows you the tokens you personally generated, even if you are an admin. Tokens belong to their creator, and deleting that user stops their tokens from working. Create replacement tokens from the account you expect to keep long term.
What is the difference between the API and the E-commerce API in MailerLite?
The standard API is for integrating any application, including reporting dashboards. The E-commerce API is specifically for connecting an external shop to your MailerLite account. For subscriber and campaign data, choose the standard API.
Can I get my MailerLite API token back after closing the page?
No. MailerLite does not store keys in plain text, so the token is shown only once at creation. If it is lost, generate a replacement and update the dashboard with the new token.