# Authentication

API calls are authenticated using API key.

To generate API key, go to Profile & settings -> API on app.sociocs.com.

There are multiple ways to send API key with the request.

Pass a request header apikey with your account's API key as value.

For example, if your API key is e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc, you can send the apikey in the request headers like below.

curl --location 'https://api.sociocs.com' --header 'apikey: e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc'

The generated API key has two parts with a : in between. You can use the value before : as Username, and value after as Password.

For example, if your API key is e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc, you can use e047nbp2UnWuHD9m as Username and Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc as Password.

You should use this approach only when sending a header in the request is not possible.

You can use the API BASE URL in this format to send the key with the request https://[your-api-key]@api.sociocs.com/....

For example, if you are calling the Send message API, and your API key is e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc, you can use the API URL as https://e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc@api.sociocs.com/message.

curl --location 'https://e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc@api.sociocs.com'

This approach is considered insecure because the API key is part of the URL and can be logged by the interim systems.

You can send the API key as query string parameter like this https://api.sociocs.com/...?apikey=[your-api-key].

For example, if you are calling the Send message API, and your API key is e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc, you can pass API key in the URL like this https://api.sociocs.com/message?apikey=e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc.

curl --location 'https://api.sociocs.com/message?apikey=e047nbp2UnWuHD9m:Xqc37DHPGMyF0Z4hWX3Afn1Iyj6j7dPc'