The Agent Identity KeyAgent identity finder

Reviewed 3 November 2026

short-lived credential

In short: A short-lived credential is an access token or certificate that expires after minutes or hours. Because it expires quickly, a stolen copy is useful only briefly. Agents receive short-lived credentials when they need them, rather than storing a secret that lasts for months.

Where does it show up in practice?

Okta, Descope and Astrix Security all describe short-lived tokens for agents.

Related terms