# Create a service account

**POST** `/admin/service-accounts`

Create a service account with optional initial role bindings; the client secret is returned only once.

Base URL: `https://api.pinecone.io`

Tags: `Service Accounts`

## Authorization

| Option | Scheme | Type | Sent as | Scopes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Option 1 | `BearerAuth` | `http` | `Authorization: Bearer <token>` | — |

## Header parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `X-Pinecone-Api-Version` | `string` | Yes | Required date-based version header |

## Request body

Required. Media type: `application/json`

The service account to create. Repeating this request may create duplicate service accounts.

### Example request body

```json
{
  "name": "ci-prod",
  "role_bindings": [
    {
      "resource_id": "a2f7dddb-1597-4eff-9f71-535fde243f58",
      "resource_type": "project",
      "role": "DataPlaneEditor"
    }
  ]
}
```

## Responses

| Status | Description | Media type |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `201` | Service account created. Role bindings are not returned here; use `GET /admin/role-bindings` to list them. | `application/json` |
| `400` | Bad request. The request body included invalid request parameters. | `application/json` |
| `401` | Unauthorized. Possible causes: Invalid API key. | `application/json` |
| `403` | Forbidden | `application/json` |
| `4XX` | Unexpected error on request. | `application/json` |
| `500` | Internal server error. | `application/json` |

### Example response: 201 — Service account created. Role bindings are not returned here; use `GET /admin/role-bindings` to list them.

```json
{
  "client_secret": "",
  "service_account": {
    "client_id": "l3Ow0CmFyc4jOONcwiKUCRqQKN0tiCAn",
    "created_at": "2026-04-10T15:23:00Z",
    "id": "f8a3b2c1-4d5e-6f7a-8b9c-0d1e2f3a4b5c",
    "name": "My Service Account",
    "updated_at": "2026-04-10T15:23:00Z"
  }
}
```

### Example response: 400 — Bad request. The request body included invalid request parameters.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "INVALID_ARGUMENT",
    "message": "Bad request. The request body included invalid request parameters."
  },
  "status": 400
}
```

### Example response: 401 — Unauthorized. Possible causes: Invalid API key.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "UNAUTHENTICATED",
    "message": "Invalid API key."
  },
  "status": 401
}
```

### Example response: 403 — Forbidden

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "QUOTA_EXCEEDED",
    "message": "The index exceeds the project quota of 5 pods by 2 pods. Upgrade your account or change the project settings to increase the quota."
  },
  "status": 429
}
```

### Example response: 4XX — Unexpected error on request.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "QUOTA_EXCEEDED",
    "message": "The index exceeds the project quota of 5 pods by 2 pods. Upgrade your account or change the project settings to increase the quota."
  },
  "status": 429
}
```

### Example response: 500 — Internal server error.

```json
{
  "error": {
    "code": "UNKNOWN",
    "message": "Internal server error"
  },
  "status": 500
}
```

## Related pages

- [API Keys](./tags/api-keys.md)
- [Create a new project](./create_project.md)
- [Create a role binding](./create_role_binding.md)
- [Create an API key](./create_api_key.md)
- [Delete a project](./delete_project.md)
- [Delete a role binding](./delete_role_binding.md)
- [Delete a service account](./delete_service_account.md)
- [Delete an API key](./delete_api_key.md)
- [Delete an invite](./delete_invite.md)
- [Delete an organization](./delete_organization.md)

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