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DevOps & Automation · Foundational

API Authentication Methods

Ways clients prove identity to APIs, including HTTP Basic, API keys, bearer tokens, OAuth 2.0, and mutual TLS.

Definition

Basic auth sends base64-encoded credentials and must use HTTPS. API keys are static secrets in headers. Bearer tokens (often JWTs) are short-lived and sent in the Authorization header. Many network controllers exchange basic credentials for a session token.

Example

Catalyst Center: POST /dna/system/api/v1/auth/token with Basic auth, then send X-Auth-Token on later calls.

Exam tip

Basic auth is encoding, not encryption; always use TLS.

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