# Generating User Api Keys with REST API

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/generating-user-api-keys-with-rest-api/61916
**Category:** Development
**Tags:** rest-api
**Created:** [May 1, 2017, 10:55pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/generating-user-api-keys-with-rest-api/61916 "2017-05-01T22:55:27Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 22

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### Author: ![david](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/david/32/157490_2.png) [@david](https://meta.discourse.org/u/david)
#### Post date: [April 8, 2018, 11:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/generating-user-api-keys-with-rest-api/61916/22 "2018-04-08T23:49:47Z")

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A user API key behaves differently from the API keys described at [docs.discourse.org](http://docs.discourse.org). Instead of supplying it as a GET parameter, you need to send it as a request header.

I just updated the **‘consuming the API’** section of this wiki a couple of days ago, which may be useful to you:

> [@User API keys specification](https://meta.discourse.org/t/user-api-keys-specification/48536):
>
> Discourse contains a system for generating API keys per user if a very specific protocol is followed. This feature facilitates “application” access to Discourse instances without needing to involve moderators. High level description At a high level: Client (desktop app, browser plugin, mobile app) generates a private/public key pair and return url Client redirects to a route on discourse giving discourse its public key Discourse gets approval from user to use app Discourse generat…

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