[role="xpack"] [[security-api-create-api-key]] === Create API key API ++++ Create API keys ++++ Creates an API key for access without requiring basic authentication. [[security-api-create-api-key-request]] ==== {api-request-title} `POST /_security/api_key` `PUT /_security/api_key` [[security-api-create-api-key-prereqs]] ==== {api-prereq-title} * To use this API, you must have at least the `manage_api_key` cluster privilege. [[security-api-create-api-key-desc]] ==== {api-description-title} The API keys are created by the {es} API key service, which is automatically enabled when you configure TLS on the HTTP interface. See <>. Alternatively, you can explicitly enable the `xpack.security.authc.api_key.enabled` setting. When you are running in production mode, a bootstrap check prevents you from enabling the API key service unless you also enable TLS on the HTTP interface. A successful create API key API call returns a JSON structure that contains the API key, its unique id, and its name. If applicable, it also returns expiration information for the API key in milliseconds. NOTE: By default, API keys never expire. You can specify expiration information when you create the API keys. See <> for configuration settings related to API key service. [[security-api-create-api-key-request-body]] ==== {api-request-body-title} The following parameters can be specified in the body of a POST or PUT request: `name`:: (Required, string) Specifies the name for this API key. `role_descriptors`:: (Optional, array-of-role-descriptor) An array of role descriptors for this API key. This parameter is optional. When it is not specified or is an empty array, then the API key will have a _point in time snapshot of permissions of the authenticated user_. If you supply role descriptors then the resultant permissions would be an intersection of API keys permissions and authenticated user's permissions thereby limiting the access scope for API keys. The structure of role descriptor is the same as the request for create role API. For more details, see <>. `expiration`:: (Optional, string) Expiration time for the API key. By default, API keys never expire. [[security-api-create-api-key-example]] ==== {api-examples-title} The following example creates an API key: [source,console] ------------------------------------------------------------ POST /_security/api_key { "name": "my-api-key", "expiration": "1d", <1> "role_descriptors": { <2> "role-a": { "cluster": ["all"], "index": [ { "names": ["index-a*"], "privileges": ["read"] } ] }, "role-b": { "cluster": ["all"], "index": [ { "names": ["index-b*"], "privileges": ["all"] } ] } } } ------------------------------------------------------------ <1> optional expiration for the API key being generated. If expiration is not provided then the API keys do not expire. <2> optional role descriptors for this API key, if not provided then permissions of authenticated user are applied. A successful call returns a JSON structure that provides API key information. [source,console-result] -------------------------------------------------- { "id":"VuaCfGcBCdbkQm-e5aOx", <1> "name":"my-api-key", "expiration":1544068612110, <2> "api_key":"ui2lp2axTNmsyakw9tvNnw" <3> } -------------------------------------------------- // TESTRESPONSE[s/VuaCfGcBCdbkQm-e5aOx/$body.id/] // TESTRESPONSE[s/1544068612110/$body.expiration/] // TESTRESPONSE[s/ui2lp2axTNmsyakw9tvNnw/$body.api_key/] <1> unique id for this API key <2> optional expiration in milliseconds for this API key <3> generated API key The API key returned by this API can then be used by sending a request with a `Authorization` header with a value having the prefix `ApiKey` followed by the _credentials_, where _credentials_ is the base64 encoding of `id` and `api_key` joined by a colon. NOTE: If your node has `xpack.security.http.ssl.enabled` set to `true`, then you must specify `https` when creating your API key. [source,shell] -------------------------------------------------- curl -H "Authorization: ApiKey VnVhQ2ZHY0JDZGJrUW0tZTVhT3g6dWkybHAyYXhUTm1zeWFrdzl0dk5udw==" http://localhost:9200/_cluster/health -------------------------------------------------- // NOTCONSOLE