Generate API Key

This guide will show you how to generate an API key for your application from our dashboard.

Understanding API Keys

An API key is a unique, secure identifier that serves as your application's digital passport to access our API services. Think of it as a special access token that proves your application's identity and permissions when making requests to our API.

What is an API Key?

API keys are long, randomly generated strings that act as a secure authentication mechanism. They are essential for:

Authenticating your application's requests
Tracking API usage and quotas
Managing access control and permissions
Ensuring secure communication between your application and our services

Technology Behind API Keys

Our API keys are built using JWT (JSON Web Tokens), a modern, industry-standard authentication protocol. JWTs provide several advantages:

Self-contained: Each token contains encoded information about the permissions and identity
Stateless: No need to store session information on the server
Secure: Uses cryptographic signatures to prevent tampering
Standardized: Follows RFC 7519 specification for maximum compatibility

Security Best Practices

Information

Please note that the API key should be kept secret and not shared with anyone. In the event of a security breach, please delete all existing API keys and regenerate new ones.

To maintain the security of your API keys:

Store them securely in environment variables or secure secret management systems
Never commit API keys to version control
Rotate keys periodically
Use different keys for different environments (development, staging, production)
Implement proper error handling for authentication failures

Create API Key

Go to https://dashboard.spherepay.com
Go to the "Developer" section
Select the "API Keys" tab
Click on the "Create new API Key" button
Enter a name for your API key
(optional) You may enter a description for your API key under the "Note" field
Click on the "Done" button
Copy the API key

Using the API key

You can use the API key in your application by passing it as a parameter to the API request.

curl -X POST https://api.spherepay.com/v1/transfer \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{...}'

Manage API Keys

You can manage your API keys in the "API Keys" tab of the "Developer" section.

Go to https://dashboard.spherepay.com
Go to the "Developer" section
Select the "API Keys" tab
Click on the triple dot menu on the right of the API key you want to manage
You can edit and delete your API keys here

Important

You cannot delete the API key if it is being used in your application.