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Every instance belongs to a client organization and is identified by a unique ID in the format inst_<hex16> (for example, inst_a1b2c3d4e5f67890).
Dashboard instances list showing instance names, statuses, agent types, and key metrics

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Creating an instance

Owners and Admins can create new instances directly from the dashboard.
1

Navigate to the Instances page

From the dashboard home, click Instances in the left sidebar. You will see a list of all existing instances for your organization.
2

Click Create Instance

Click the Create Instance button in the top-right corner. A creation form will appear.
3

Fill in the instance details

Provide the following information:
FieldRequiredDescription
NameYesA human-readable name for the instance (e.g., customer-support-prod, onboarding-assistant-staging)
Agent TypeYesThe type of agent this instance serves (e.g., B2B Customer Support, B2C Companion, Workflow Agent)
DescriptionNoA brief description of the instance’s purpose
Use-Case MarkdownNo (recommended)A .md file describing your agent’s use case — used to generate the Memory Architecture Configuration (MACA)
MetadataNoKey-value pairs for custom tagging and organization
Create instance form with fields for name, agent type, description, use-case markdown, and metadata

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Use-Case Markdown

The Use-Case Markdown file is the primary input Synap uses to generate an optimized Memory Architecture Configuration (MACA) for your instance. It describes what your agent does, who it serves, and what it should prioritize remembering — giving Synap the context it needs to configure storage, extraction, and retrieval correctly from day one.Click Download Template in the form to get a pre-structured file, then fill in your details and upload it before clicking Create. Accepted formats: .md, .markdown, .txt — max 512 KB.The template contains eight sections:
SectionRequiredPurpose
Agent ObjectiveYesWhat your agent does and the problem it solves
Target UsersYesWho interacts with the agent — roles, technical level, interaction patterns
Task ExamplesYes3–5 representative user messages and what the agent should do
Behavioral GuidelinesNoDo’s and don’ts — what the agent should always or never do
Role DescriptionsNoClarifies who Client, Customer, and User are in your setup
Compliance & Data SensitivityNoRegulatory frameworks, PII handling, data retention constraints
Memory PrioritiesNoWhat the agent should prioritize remembering vs. ignore
Additional ContextNoBusiness context, integrations, technical constraints
You can upload or update the use-case file after instance creation via Instance Settings. Synap will re-evaluate and regenerate the MACA when a new file is submitted. See Use-Case Markdown for a full authoring guide.
4

Instance enters provisioning status

After creation, the instance starts in the provisioning status. It is registered in Synap Cloud but has not yet received its first SDK connection.
5

Generate a bootstrap key

Click Generate Bootstrap Key on the instance detail page. A one-time bootstrap key will be displayed.
Bootstrap key dialog showing the generated key with a copy button and a warning that it will not be shown again
Bootstrap keys are shown only once. Copy and store it securely before closing the dialog. If you lose the key, you will need to revoke it and generate a new one.

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Instance details

The instance detail page provides a comprehensive view of an individual instance. Clicking any instance in the list view opens its detail page.
Instance detail page showing status, configuration, metrics, and recent activity
The detail page displays:
SectionInformation
StatusCurrent instance status (provisioning, active, inactive, suspended)
Agent TypeThe configured agent type for this instance
Config StatusStatus of the Memory Architecture Configuration (pending, approved, rejected, active)
API Calls (24h)Total API requests processed in the last 24 hours
Memory CountTotal number of memories stored across all scopes
Created DateWhen the instance was first created
Last ActivityTimestamp of the most recent SDK interaction
From the detail page you can also access the instance’s memory architecture configuration, analytics, webhook settings, and bootstrap key management.

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Updating an instance

To update an instance’s metadata, navigate to its detail page and click Edit. You can modify:
  • Name — Rename the instance to better reflect its current purpose.
  • Description — Update or add a description.
  • Metadata — Add, modify, or remove custom key-value pairs.
The instance’s agent type cannot be changed after creation. If you need a different agent type, create a new instance.
Updating instance metadata does not affect running conversations or stored memories. These changes are purely organizational.

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Instance statuses

Every instance has a status that reflects its current lifecycle state.
The instance has been created but has not yet received its first SDK connection. This is the initial state after creation. Once the SDK successfully bootstraps with the instance’s key, the status transitions to active.What you can do: Generate bootstrap keys, initialize memory architecture configuration, view the instance detail page.What you cannot do: The instance will not process ingestion or retrieval requests until it becomes active.
The instance is running and accepting requests. The SDK has successfully connected and the instance is processing ingestion, retrieval, and streaming operations.What you can do: Full functionality — ingest memories, retrieve context, update configuration, view analytics.
The instance has been paused. It retains all stored memories and configuration but does not accept new requests. You can reactivate an inactive instance at any time.What you can do: View stored data, update configuration, reactivate the instance.What you cannot do: The instance will reject ingestion and retrieval requests from the SDK.
The instance has been administratively suspended, typically due to policy violations or billing issues. Only Synap support or the organization Owner can lift a suspension.What you can do: View the instance detail page. Contact support for resolution.What you cannot do: All operations are blocked until the suspension is lifted.

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Bootstrap keys

Bootstrap keys are the initial credential used by the Synap SDK to establish a trust relationship with an instance. When the SDK starts for the first time, it presents the bootstrap key to Synap Cloud, which validates it, issues a certificate, and establishes the mTLS channel for ongoing communication.

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Generating a bootstrap key

1

Navigate to the instance detail page

Click the instance in the instances list.
2

Click Generate Bootstrap Key

In the Credentials section, click Generate Bootstrap Key. If a key already exists, you will need to revoke it first.
3

Copy and store the key securely

The key is displayed once. Copy it immediately and store it in a secure location such as a secrets manager, environment variable, or encrypted configuration file.
Bootstrap keys are securely generated by Synap and shown once. Store the key immediately in your secrets manager. If lost, revoke and generate a new key.

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Revoking a bootstrap key

If a bootstrap key is compromised or no longer needed, revoke it immediately:
  1. Navigate to the instance detail page.
  2. In the Credentials section, click Revoke Key.
  3. Confirm the revocation.
Revocation is immediate. Any SDK instances that have not yet bootstrapped with this key will be unable to connect. SDK instances that have already bootstrapped may continue until their active credentials expire.

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Key rotation

To rotate a bootstrap key:
  1. Revoke the current key.
  2. Generate a new key.
  3. Update your application’s configuration with the new key.
  4. Restart the SDK to trigger re-bootstrapping.
If your SDK has already bootstrapped and holds a valid certificate, revoking the bootstrap key does not disconnect it immediately. The SDK continues operating until its certificate expires. To force disconnection, you must also revoke the certificate through the API.

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API routes

The following dashboard API routes are available for instance management:
MethodRouteDescription
GET/dashboard/instancesList all instances (paginated)
GET/dashboard/instances/{instance_id}Get instance details
POST/dashboard/instancesCreate a new instance
PATCH/dashboard/instances/{instance_id}Update instance metadata
DELETE/dashboard/instances/{instance_id}Queue async instance deletion (client non-strict)
POST/dashboard/instances/{instance_id}/bootstrap-keyGenerate a bootstrap key
POST/dashboard/instances/{instance_id}/revoke-keyRevoke the current bootstrap key
Use descriptive instance names that identify the agent’s purpose and environment, for example customer-support-prod or onboarding-assistant-staging. This makes it much easier to navigate the dashboard when you have many instances.

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Next steps

Memory Configuration

Configure how your instance stores and retrieves memory with MACA.

SDK Initialization

Connect your application to the instance using the bootstrap key.

Authentication Deep Dive

Understand the full zero-trust authentication model, certificate lifecycle, and credential rotation.

Monitoring & Analytics

Track your instance’s performance and usage after deployment.