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API Keys & Agent Setup

How to install the Deskify desktop agent, manage organization keys, and configure stealth vs. standard mode.

Organization keys

Deskify connects each desktop agent to your account with an organization API key. There are two kinds, and which one you hand out defines your monitoring policy. Both live in Settings > Organisation Keys.

  • Standard Mode Key — the agent shows a system-tray / menu-bar icon, so employees can see monitoring is active. Use this for transparent policies.
  • Stealth Mode Key — the agent runs silently with no visible indicator. Reserved for security and compliance cases with full written disclosure to employees.

Install the agent

Set up takes about five minutes. The agent runs on Windows 10/11 (x64) and macOS 12+ (Apple Silicon and Intel).

  1. 1In the dashboard, open the Download page and grab the installer for your platform.
  2. 2Run the installer. On Windows, accept the admin prompt so the agent can install for all users.
  3. 3When prompted, paste your Standard or Stealth organization key.
  4. 4The agent connects to Deskify and starts recording activity right away — the user appears on your dashboard within a minute.

Tip

Rolling out to a whole team? Push the installer with your MDM/RMM tool and pre-seed the key so employees never see a prompt.

Standard vs. stealth mode

The key type you used at install decides how visible the agent is. You can re-deploy with a different key to switch a machine between modes.

  • Standard: visible tray / menu-bar icon. Recommended default for most teams.
  • Stealth: no visible indicator; the app cannot be quit by the employee and only an admin can uninstall it.

Heads up

Stealth keys require written confirmation that employees have been notified. Deploying covert monitoring without disclosure may be illegal in your jurisdiction.

Network & connectivity

The agent talks to Deskify over HTTPS on port 443, so most corporate networks need no special rules. It buffers activity locally while offline and syncs automatically when the connection returns, so no data is lost during outages. If your network uses an allowlist, add these hosts:

Allowlist
api.deskifyapp.com
app.deskifyapp.com
turn.deskifyapp.com:3478

Rotate or revoke a key

If a key leaks or you need to cut off agent access, rotate it from Settings > Organisation Keys.

Note

Rotating a key immediately invalidates every agent using the old one — those machines must be re-deployed with the new key. Rotate periodically, and always after a suspected exposure.

Updates

The agent updates itself. New versions download in the background and apply on the next restart (usually the next login), with no admin action for routine releases. Major updates that need manual steps are announced ahead of time by email and in-dashboard.

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