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Overview

Service Users (previously called ‘bot users’) are similar to Users but they are intended for automated systems that programmatically interact with your ngrok accounts either by starting ngrok Agents or making requests to the API. Other platforms sometimes call this concept a Service Account. Service Users own a set of credentials (Authtokens, API Keys and SSH Keys) that they use to authenticate with ngrok. You can see and manage your service users in the ngrok Dashboard.

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When should I use a Service User?

You should use Service Users whenever an automated process is using with your ngrok account. Service Users are the best choice in these circumstances because they guarantee that your agents or programs continue working after the user who set them up leaves your account. When a user leaves an account, all of their credentials are revoked; setting up Service Users for those services helps you avoid downtime and impact to your production services.

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Differences from Users

Service Users function exactly like Users with a few exceptions:
  • Service Users may not log into the Dashboard
  • Service Users are not subject to RBAC
  • Service Users may not be a member of more than one Account
  • If you are subscribed to a free plan, Service Users are not counted when computing how many seats you are charged for

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Role Based Access Control

Service Users operate with full developer permissions and have no other permissions. You cannot currently used RBAC to restrict Service User privileges.

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Event Logs

When a Service User takes actions against your ngrok account, it will be recorded as the Principal in the event log. This helps you isolate what an automated service is doing with your ngrok account, especially when there are multiple such services.

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Pricing

Service Users are available on Pay-as-you-go plans only. For more information, see the ngrok Pricing page.