Discover what an API key is and its role in security

Highlights

You’ll learn about the benefits of API keys for developers:

• Increases security: Offers secure authentication, safeguarding your application's data
• Provides access control: Manages who can access your APIs and data
• Ensures monitoring: Tracks API usage to optimize performance
• Focuses on rate limiting: Prevents system overload by controlling request rates

Best practices

• Secure storage
• Regular key rotation
• Encryption for data protection

Discover how API keys can enhance your application's security and efficiency. 

What is an API key?

An API key is a unique identifier developers use to connect to and perform an API call. These alphanumeric strings give you control over access to APIs, safeguard sensitive data, and monitor usage patterns. API keys work with authentication tokens to identify who can access your projects. Applications use these keys to identify the developer, program or application requesting access to a website or application. 

For example, imagine you create a module that accepts a list of travel destinations and returns the best flight deals available for each location. A travel booking service uses API to offer customers competitive flight options. You implement API keys to control and oversee access to your service. These keys authenticate API usage, allowing you to manage, maintain and monetize your APIs. This ensures that only authorized users can benefit from your travel deal insights.

These keys help with API security, monitoring, and usage limitations. 

Types of API keys

Public API keys

Public keys give you access to non-sensitive data and functionalities that don’t need authentication. They are used in scenarios where basic access control is sufficient. Developers use the public keys to enforce rate limiting and track usage. 

Example: Public API keys are helpful in applications that display weather data, stock market information, or other publicly available data to users.

Private API keys

Using private keys, you can access or modify sensitive data or information. These keys provide a higher level of security and are ideal for applications requiring authentication within a secure environment. Private keys are also used by backend systems or server-to-server communications.

Example: Developers use the private API key for an internal application to access a company's customer database or financial data. As a result, only authorized systems can make requests.

Key features of API keys

Unique identification and authentication

API keys are unique passwords that allow your applications to identify users. When an app includes its unique key in a request, you know precisely who's making it. This offers personalized content, interaction and experience. The system remains secure while ensuring users receive a personalized experience. Only the right people can access the right resources with distinct keys, improving security.

Traffic monitoring and analytics

You can plug API keys into monitoring systems and tag each request with an API key. As a result, you understand how users interact with APIs. Using this information, you can spot trends, know when traffic peaks, and find areas for improvement. It's all about planning to ensure everything runs smoothly when traffic peaks and you can scale up.

Rate limiting and quotas

Application programming interface keys manage the limit to which users can access a service, ensuring fair use of the application. Developers set user or subscription-level rules to track where API requests come from, preventing anyone from overloading the system with numerous requests.

API keys vs API tokens

What are API keys used for?

Block anonymous traffic

Anonymous or unexpectedly high traffic indicated potentially malicious activities or traffic. As these keys can identify traffic to an application, they debug potential issues and then block the unwanted traffic. 

Access control

With API keys, you ensure that only authorized users can access data, information or resources provided by an API. 

Monitor the calls made to your API

By monitoring the API calls, you can control them to govern API consumption, provide access to a limited number of users and ensure that only legitimate users access the APIs.

Ensure security 

Web applications are most vulnerable to cyberattacks because they transfer sensitive information between two or more applications. They exchange passwords, login details, finances or any other personal details. API keys reduce this problem by introducing an extra protection layer. With the key, users can gain data control, enhancing security. Since each user has a unique identification number or name with a different permission level, it becomes tough for hackers to penetrate the network. 

To learn more about Contentstack's API-first CMS, check out the helpful docs site.

Best practices for using API keys

Save your keys in a secure location

API keys give you access to sensitive data; even unauthorized people can access your information once they obtain it. So, it’s essential to store your keys in a secure location accessible only by a few authorized users. You can use environment variables or secure vaults to store your keys. 

Monitor the use

Regularly monitoring the use of API keys helps you detect anomalies and unauthorized activities. You can even monitor activities like what API call was made, which keys were used, what the outcome was and the request's origin to identify and rectify issues before they explode. 

Rotate the keys

Periodically rotate your keys to reduce API security breaches. Why? Old or outdated keys are vulnerable over time (similar to your password). You can generate new keys and update them in your applications. It's important to ensure team members know the key rotation schedule and have clear instructions on updating the keys. Regular audits and testing ensure no disruptions occur in application functioning.

Focus on encryption and HTTPS

Use encryption for transmitting API keys. When API requests are made over secure HTTPS connections, you prevent interception and unauthorized access during data transmission.

Implement governance

Implementing good governance for API keys keeps them secure and ensures controlled usage. If you outline strict rules regarding using and managing API keys, you minimize the chances of unauthorized access and misuse. Develop procedures for generating, distributing, and using keys while ensuring compliance with security procedures. You can even maintain a centralized system to track who has access. Make it a habit to conduct audits to ensure compliance and spot any issues. To monitor their activity in real-time, set up automated systems that send alerts of suspicious behavior.

How to use API keys?

Create the API key

First, create a unique API key for the application. This is a secure ID that allows the application to communicate with the API.

Embed the API key

Next, add the API key into the app’s code. Make sure you place it correctly to keep the API running smoothly and ensure communication with the API.

Configure API access

Decide the permissions and access levels for the API key. When you understand which API part the application can use, you ensure security without compromising its qualities.

Monitor its use

Regularly check API requests and how they're being used. As a result, you see how the app performs, identify odd activities and optimize performance.

Manage security

Change API keys from time to time and store them securely for safety. This prevents unauthorized access and keeps the app secure and running well.

FAQs

What is an API key used for?

API keys can control access and secure interactions, preventing resource leakage and unauthorized access to specific data and services.

What is an OpenAI API key?

An OpenAI API key is a specific API key used to access OpenAI's API services, enabling the integration of AI functionalities into applications.

What are the advantages of API keys?

API keys offer security to prevent unauthorized integration and access, simplify the integration and analyze traffic. They enable you to control access and keep the system highly performant.

What makes API keys user-friendly for developers?

API keys provide effective authentication that simplifies API access and accelerates the development of new features.

Are API keys suitable for all applications?

Although API keys are versatile and widely applicable, they are ideal only for application-level authentication. Developers use API tokens for more granular security.

Learn more

As API continues to evolve, it continues to provide secure access management. Apart from authorizing and authenticating API requests, they protect your sensitive data. Knowing how to use API keys can improve security and optimize access management. 

Talk to us today to learn how effective API key management can transform digital interactions and prevent unauthorized use.