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Authentication

Learn how to authenticate your API requests with Bareuptime.

API Keys​

All API requests require authentication using an API key. You can generate and manage API keys in your Bareuptime dashboard.

Creating an API Key​

  1. Log in to your Bareuptime dashboard
  2. Navigate to Settings → API Keys
  3. Click Generate New Key
  4. Give your key a descriptive name (e.g., "Production Monitoring", "CI/CD Integration")
  5. Select the appropriate permissions
  6. Click Create Key

⚠️ Important: Copy and store your API key immediately. For security reasons, you won't be able to see it again.

Key Permissions​

API keys can have different permission levels:

  • Read Only: Can only retrieve data (monitors, status, statistics)
  • Read/Write: Can create, update, and delete resources
  • Admin: Full access including billing and user management

Using Your API Key​

Include your API key in the Authorization header of all requests:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

Example Request​

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_test_1234567890abcdef" \
     https://api.bareuptime.co/v1/monitors

Security Best Practices​

Keep Keys Secure​

  • Never commit API keys to version control
  • Store keys in environment variables or secure vaults
  • Rotate keys regularly (at least every 90 days)
  • Use different keys for different environments

Environment Variables​

Store your API key in environment variables:

export BAREUPTIME_API_KEY="sk_test_1234567890abcdef"

Then use it in your code:

const apiKey = process.env.BAREUPTIME_API_KEY;

Key Rotation​

To rotate your API key:

  1. Generate a new API key
  2. Update your applications to use the new key
  3. Test that everything works correctly
  4. Delete the old API key

Rate Limiting​

API requests are rate limited per API key:

  • Free Plan: 100 requests per minute
  • Pro Plan: 1,000 requests per minute
  • Enterprise: 10,000 requests per minute

When you exceed the limit, you'll receive a 429 Too Many Requests response:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED",
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded. Try again in 60 seconds."
  }
}

Rate Limit Headers​

All responses include rate limit information in the headers:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 1000
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 999
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1640995200

Error Handling​

Authentication Errors​

401 Unauthorized - Invalid or missing API key:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "UNAUTHORIZED",
    "message": "Invalid API key"
  }
}

403 Forbidden - Insufficient permissions:

{
  "success": false,
  "error": {
    "code": "FORBIDDEN", 
    "message": "Insufficient permissions for this operation"
  }
}

Troubleshooting​

Common authentication issues:

  1. Missing Authorization Header: Ensure you're including the Authorization header
  2. Incorrect Format: Use Bearer YOUR_API_KEY format
  3. Expired Key: Check if your API key has been deleted or expired
  4. Wrong Environment: Ensure you're using the correct API key for the environment

Testing Authentication​

Test your API key with a simple request:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
     https://api.bareuptime.co/v1/auth/test

Success response:

{
  "success": true,
  "data": {
    "key_id": "key_1234567890",
    "permissions": ["read", "write"],
    "rate_limit": {
      "limit": 1000,
      "remaining": 999
    }
  }
}