SmallStep

Smallstep operates the world's first Device Identity Platform. It issues hardware-backed, short-lived X.509 and SSH certificates that cryptographically prove what is acting and from where — for devices, humans, workloads, AI agents, and MCP toolchains. Smallstep co-developed ACME Device Attestation (ACME DA) with Google through the IETF, using TPM and Secure Enclave co-processors to bind non-exportable credentials to specific devices at issuance. Its OpenAPI-conformant Platform API (gateway.smallstep.com) manages device inventory, PKI (certificate authorities and provisioners), certificate issuance and revocation, credentials, and protected resources such as Wi-Fi, VPN, and SSO. Smallstep also maintains the widely used open-source step CLI and step-ca certificate authority.

SmallStep publishes 6 APIs on the APIs.io network, including Authentication API, Certificates API, Credentials API, and 3 more. Tagged areas include Company, Developer Tools, Certificate Authority, PKI, and Device Identity.

The SmallStep catalog on APIs.io includes 1 event-driven AsyncAPI specification.

SmallStep’s developer surface includes documentation, API reference, getting-started guide, engineering blog, support, pricing, authentication, and 26 more developer resources.

🌐 Visit website 📡 Source on GitHub
58.5/100 developing ▬ flat Agent 66/100 agent native Full breakdown ↓
scored 2026-07-27 · rubric v0.5
AccessSelf serve
6 APIs
CompanyDeveloper ToolsCertificate AuthorityPKIDevice IdentityZero TrustCertificate ManagementmTLSACMESSHSecurity

Kin Score

Kin Score Kin Score How this is scored →
scored 2026-07-27 · rubric v0.5
Composite quality — 58.5/100 · developing
Contract Quality 18.1 / 25
Developer Ergonomics 14.3 / 20
Commercial Clarity 8.9 / 20
Operational Transparency 7.2 / 13
Governance 0.0 / 12
Discoverability 10.0 / 10
Agent readiness — 66/100 · agent native
Machine-Readable Contract 18 / 18
Agentic Access Contract 15 / 15
MCP Server 0 / 12
Machine-Readable Auth 10 / 10
Idempotency 0 / 9
Stable Error Semantics 8 / 8
Request/Response Examples 0 / 7
Rate-Limit Signaling 0 / 7
Typed Event Surface 6 / 6
Agent Skills 5 / 5
Well-Known Catalog 4 / 4
Consent & Bot Identity 3 / 3
Improve this rating by publishing the missing artifacts — every area above can be raised, and the full rubric is at apis.io/rating/. This rating is computed from github.com/api-evangelist/smallstep: open an issue to ask a question, or submit a pull request to add artifacts. Want it done for you? Prioritized profiling — $2,500 →

APIs 6

Individual APIs this provider publishes, each with its own machine-readable definition.

SmallStep Authentication API

Create API tokens

SmallStep Certificates API

Query certificates and their statuses issued by authorities

SmallStep Credentials API

Manage credentials

SmallStep Device Inventory API

Manage your device inventory

SmallStep PKI Architecture API

Manage certificate authorities and provisioners

SmallStep Protect API

Manage access to protected resources

Event Specifications 1

AsyncAPI definitions for this provider's event-driven and streaming APIs.

Smallstep Webhooks

ASYNCAPI

Security Posture 3

Authentication, domain security, vulnerability disclosure, and trust-center signals.

Smallstep Authentication

http/mutualTLS · 2 schemes

SECURITY

Smallstep Domain Security

TLSv1.3 · HSTS · DMARC

SECURITY

Smallstep Vulnerability Disclosure

security.txt · contact published

SECURITY

Agentic Access 1

Recommended x-agentic-access execution contracts for AI agents.

Smallstep Agentic Access

74 operations · 44 acting · 1 human-in-the-loop

74 operations · 44 acting

AGENTIC

Resources

Get Started 3

Portal, sign-up, and the first successful call

DeveloperPortal
DeveloperPortal
 GettingStarted
GettingStarted
 Login
Login

Documentation 2

Reference material describing how the API behaves

Documentation
Documentation
 APIReference
APIReference

Agent Surfaces 5

MCP servers, agent skills, and machine-readable catalogs

AgenticAccess
AgenticAccess
 WellKnown
WellKnown
 LLMsTxt
LLMsTxt
 AgentSkill
AgentSkill
 MCPServerCandidate
MCPServerCandidate

Design & Contract 6

Pagination, idempotency, versioning, errors, and events

Conformance
Conformance
 ErrorCatalog
ErrorCatalog
 Lifecycle
Lifecycle
 Conventions
Conventions
 DataModel
DataModel
 Webhooks
Webhooks

Build 4

SDKs, sample code, and the tooling you integrate with

GitHubOrganization
GitHubOrganization
 Packages
Packages
 SDKs
SDKs
 CLI
CLI

Access & Security 5

Authentication, authorization, and security posture

Authentication
Authentication
 DomainSecurity
DomainSecurity
 VulnerabilityDisclosure
VulnerabilityDisclosure
 Security
Security
 SecurityTxt
SecurityTxt

Operate 3

Status, limits, changes, and where to get help

Support
Support
 StatusPage
StatusPage
 ChangeLog
ChangeLog

Commercial 3

Pricing, plans, and the legal terms of use

Pricing
Pricing
 TermsOfService
TermsOfService
 PrivacyPolicy
PrivacyPolicy

Company 2

The organization behind the API

Website
Website
 Blog
Blog

Source (apis.yml)

apis.yml Raw ↑ 
x-enrichment:
  date: '2026-07-21'
  status: enriched
  artifacts_added: 23
  pass: local-v1
aid: smallstep
name: SmallStep
description: Smallstep operates the world's first Device Identity Platform. It issues hardware-backed, short-lived X.509 and
  SSH certificates that cryptographically prove what is acting and from where — for devices, humans, workloads, AI agents,
  and MCP toolchains. Smallstep co-developed ACME Device Attestation (ACME DA) with Google through the IETF, using TPM and
  Secure Enclave co-processors to bind non-exportable credentials to specific devices at issuance. Its OpenAPI-conformant
  Platform API (gateway.smallstep.com) manages device inventory, PKI (certificate authorities and provisioners), certificate
  issuance and revocation, credentials, and protected resources such as Wi-Fi, VPN, and SSO. Smallstep also maintains the
  widely used open-source step CLI and step-ca certificate authority.
url: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/api-evangelist/smallstep/refs/heads/main/apis.yml
accessModel:
  pricing: unknown
  onboarding: self-serve
  trial: false
  try_now: false
  public: false
  label: Self-serve signup
  confidence: medium
  source:
  - authentication
  generated: '2026-07-22'
  method: derived
image: https://smallstep.imgix.net/logo_bfa4201fe5.svg
x-type: company
x-source: vc-portfolio
x-backed-by:
- accel
- bain-capital-ventures
x-tier: enriched
x-tier-reason: portfolio-lead-enriched
specificationVersion: '0.20'
created: '2026-07-17'
modified: '2026-07-21'
tags:
- Company
- Developer Tools
- Certificate Authority
- PKI
- Device Identity
- Zero Trust
- Certificate Management
- mTLS
- ACME
- SSH
- Security
maintainers:
- FN: Kin Lane
  email: kin@apievangelist.com
- FN: APIs.json
  email: info@apis.io
apis:
- aid: smallstep:smallstep-authentication-api
  name: SmallStep Authentication API
  description: Create API tokens
  humanURL: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  baseURL: https://gateway.smallstep.com/api
  tags:
  - Authentication
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/smallstep-authentication-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://gateway.smallstep.com/v2025-01-01
- aid: smallstep:smallstep-certificates-api
  name: SmallStep Certificates API
  description: Query certificates and their statuses issued by authorities
  humanURL: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  baseURL: https://gateway.smallstep.com/api
  tags:
  - Certificates
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/smallstep-certificates-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://gateway.smallstep.com/v2025-01-01
- aid: smallstep:smallstep-credentials-api
  name: SmallStep Credentials API
  description: Manage credentials
  humanURL: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  baseURL: https://gateway.smallstep.com/api
  tags:
  - Credentials
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/smallstep-credentials-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://gateway.smallstep.com/v2025-01-01
- aid: smallstep:smallstep-device-inventory-api
  name: SmallStep Device Inventory API
  description: Manage your device inventory
  humanURL: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  baseURL: https://gateway.smallstep.com/api
  tags:
  - Device Inventory
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/smallstep-device-inventory-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://gateway.smallstep.com/v2025-01-01
- aid: smallstep:smallstep-pki-architecture-api
  name: SmallStep PKI Architecture API
  description: Manage certificate authorities and provisioners
  humanURL: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  baseURL: https://gateway.smallstep.com/api
  tags:
  - PKI Architecture
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/smallstep-pki-architecture-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://gateway.smallstep.com/v2025-01-01
- aid: smallstep:smallstep-protect-api
  name: SmallStep Protect API
  description: Manage access to protected resources
  humanURL: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  baseURL: https://gateway.smallstep.com/api
  tags:
  - Protect
  properties:
  - type: OpenAPI
    url: openapi/smallstep-protect-api-openapi.yml
  - type: Documentation
    url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
  - type: APIReference
    url: https://gateway.smallstep.com/v2025-01-01
common:
- type: Website
  url: http://www.smallstep.com
- type: DeveloperPortal
  url: https://smallstep.com/docs/
- type: Documentation
  url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform
- type: APIReference
  url: https://smallstep.com/docs/platform/smallstep-api/
- type: GettingStarted
  url: https://smallstep.com/docs/certificate-manager/getting-started/
- type: Blog
  url: https://smallstep.com/blog
- type: GitHubOrganization
  url: https://github.com/smallstep
- type: Support
  url: https://github.com/smallstep/certificates/discussions
- type: Pricing
  url: https://smallstep.com/pricing
- type: Login
  url: https://smallstep.com/app/
- type: TermsOfService
  url: https://smallstep.com/terms-of-use
- type: PrivacyPolicy
  url: https://smallstep.com/privacy-policy
- type: StatusPage
  url: https://status.smallstep.com
- type: Authentication
  url: authentication/smallstep-authentication.yml
- type: AgenticAccess
  url: agentic-access/smallstep-agentic-access.yml
- type: DomainSecurity
  url: security/smallstep-domain-security.yml
- type: VulnerabilityDisclosure
  url: security/smallstep-vulnerability-disclosure.yml
- type: Security
  url: https://smallstep.com/security/
- type: SecurityTxt
  url: well-known/smallstep-security.txt
- type: WellKnown
  url: well-known/smallstep-well-known.yml
- type: Packages
  url: packages/smallstep-packages.yml
- type: SDKs
  url: packages/smallstep-packages.yml
- type: CLI
  url: cli/smallstep-cli.yml
- type: LLMsTxt
  url: llms/smallstep-llms.txt
- type: Conformance
  url: conformance/smallstep-conformance.yml
- type: ErrorCatalog
  url: errors/smallstep-problem-types.yml
- type: Lifecycle
  url: lifecycle/smallstep-lifecycle.yml
- type: Conventions
  url: conventions/smallstep-conventions.yml
- type: ChangeLog
  url: changelog/smallstep-changelog.yml
- type: DataModel
  url: data-model/smallstep-data-model.yml
- type: Webhooks
  url: asyncapi/smallstep-webhooks.yml
- type: AgentSkill
  url: skills/_index.yml
- type: MCPServerCandidate
  url: mcp/smallstep-mcp.yml