What are common API authentication methods?

What You'll Learn

Common authentication methods
Pros and cons of each
Implementation examples

Authentication Methods

1. API Keys

code.jsJavaScript

// Header-based
GET /api/data
X-API-Key: your-api-key-here

// Query parameter
GET /api/data?api_key=your-api-key-here

2. JWT (JSON Web Tokens)

code.jsJavaScript

// Login and get token
POST /api/login
{ "email": "user@example.com", "password": "123" }

// Use token in requests
GET /api/protected
Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs...

3. OAuth 2.0

code.jsJavaScript

1. Redirect user to auth provider
2. User grants permission
3. Receive authorization code
4. Exchange code for access token
5. Use token for API requests

4. Basic Authentication

code.jsJavaScript

// Base64 encoded username:password
GET /api/data
Authorization: Basic dXNlcm5hbWU6cGFzc3dvcmQ=

Comparison

Method	Use Case	Security
API Key	Server-to-server	Medium
JWT	User authentication	High
OAuth 2.0	Third-party access	High
Basic Auth	Simple internal APIs	Low