Why should we use API key?
API keys are used to track and control how the API is being used, for example to prevent malicious use or abuse of the API. The API key often acts as both a unique identifier and a secret token for authentication, and is assigned a set of access that is specific to the identity that is associated with it.
Which is a benefit of using API keys to access API resources?
Because API keys can easily be extracted from app code and used to access an API, they work better as unique app identifiers, rather than security tokens.
Why do I need a username and password for API?
By using a username / password, you’re usually restricting yourself to a certain type of API usage. By having API key pairs, you’re able to separate out API credentials to different levels of access (maybe on key pair can only access certain data, while another can access other types of data).
What are the benefits of using API key pairs?
In addition to the obvious security benefits, they also serve other purposes: If an API key pair is leaked, you can usually create / cycle API key pairs without needing to update every single client you own. You can use API key pairs to provide sub-account functionality for your API.
How does an API key identify an application?
While API keys identify the calling project, they don’t identify the calling user. For instance, if you have created an application that is calling an API, an API key can identify the application that is making the call, but not the identity of the person who is using the application.
What’s the difference between API keys and OAuth?
In this article, we’ll compare three different ways to achieve this: API Keys, HTTP Basic Authentication, and OAuth. We’ll also highlight what the benefits and drawbacks are for each method. Using API keys is a way to authenticate an application accessing the API, without referencing an actual user.