Authenticate Your API Requests

Authenticate the Blockdaemon API Suite with your API key.

If you want to use the Blockdaemon API Suite, you need to authenticate your requests with your API key. Here's how to do it.

Getting an API Key

To start using the Blockdaemon API Suite, you need to get an API key. If you don't have one, you can get a free one by signing up for Blockdaemon. Once you have an API key, you can use it to authenticate your requests.

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New vs. Legacy API Keys

There are two types of Blockdaemon API Suite keys: new and legacy. If you created your key after August 2022, you have a new key. If you created your key before September 2022 or you are an Enterprise tier user, you have a legacy key. The difference between these two types of keys is in the base URL and the available authentication methods.

1. Authenticating With a New API Key

The following authorization methods are available for new API keys:

  • Using API Key as a Query Parameter
  • Using API Key as a Bearer Token
  • Using API Key as an X-API-Key

If you have a new API key, you should use this base URL: https://svc.blockdaemon.com

2. Authenticating With a Legacy API Key

The following authorization methods are available for legacy API keys:

  • Using API Key as a Query Parameter
  • Using API Key as a Bearer Token

If you have a legacy API key, you should use this base URL: https://ubiquity.api.blockdaemon.com.

📘

Info:

Only legacy and Enterprise tier Blockdaemon API Suite users will use the above URL.

Using Your API Key

Once you have your API key, you can use it to authenticate your requests. Overall, there are three different methods to authenticate Blockdaemon API Suite requests, depending on whether you have a new or legacy API key. Let's have a look at each below.

1. Using Your API Key as a Query Parameter

The easiest way to authenticate a Blockdaemon API Suite request is via a special query parameter:

  • parameter: apiKey
  • value: YOUR_API_KEY

At the end of any Blockdaemon API Suite endpoint, just add the following: ?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY. For example, to authorize a request for getting the current block number in Ethereum Mainnet using our Universal API, use the following GET request:

https://svc.blockdaemon.com/universal/v1/ethereum/mainnet/sync/block_number?apiKey=YOUR_API_KEY

Authentication with a query parameter can be used with any tool - no additional actions are needed.

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Info:

Note that if the query has additional parameters, replace ? with &.

2. Using Your API Key as a Bearer Token

You can authenticate Blockdaemon API Suite requests by setting YOUR_API_KEY as a bearer token in the authorization header. Here are the instructions for doing this in cURL and Postman.

➡️ Bearer Token in cURL

When working with cURL, use the following code to set your YOUR_API_KEY as a bearer token:

--header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'

For example, to get the current block number in Ethereum Mainnet using our Universal API, use this:

curl --request GET 'https://svc.blockdaemon.com/universal/v1/ethereum/mainnet/sync/block_number' \
     --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'

Or, if you prefer to use short options, run the following:

curl -X GET 'https://svc.blockdaemon.com/universal/v1/ethereum/mainnet/sync/block_number' \
     -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'

➡️ Bearer Token in Postman

In Postman, you can set YOUR_API_KEY as a bearer token not only for a particular request but also for a collection of requests. To do this, go to a request or collection tab and do the following:

  1. Navigate to the Authorization or Auth tab.
  2. Select Bearer Token from the Type drop-down menu.
  3. Paste YOUR_API_KEY into the Token input box.

Then you can run your request.

3. Using Your API Key as an X-API-Key

You can authenticate Blockdaemon API Suite requests by passing your YOUR_API_KEY in the X-API-Key header. Here are the instructions for doing this in cURL and Postman.

➡️ X-API-Key in cURL

When working with cURL, use the following code to set YOUR_API_KEY as a bearer token:

--header 'X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY'

For example, to get the current block number in Ethereum Mainnet using our Universal API, use this:

curl --request GET 'https://svc.blockdaemon.com/universal/v1/ethereum/mainnet/sync/block_number' \
--header 'X-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY'

Or, if you prefer to use short options, run the following:

curl -X GET 'https://svc.blockdaemon.com/universal/v1/ethereum/mainnet/sync/block_number' \
-H 'X-API-KEY: YOUR_API_KEY'

➡️ X-API-Key in Postman

In Postman you can set YOUR_API_KEY as an X-API-Key not only for a particular request but also for a collection of requests. Go to a request or collection tab and do the following:

  1. Navigate to the Authorization or Auth tab.
  2. Select API Key from the Type drop-down menu.
  3. Paste your YOUR_API_KEY into the Value input box.
  4. Make sure that the Add to option is set to Header.

Then you can run your request.

Getting the Result

If YOUR_API_KEY is correct, your request will be authorized, and you will get the result. For example, the requests from the sections above using our Universal API return the current block number in Ethereum Mainnet, as shown below:

16988055

If the key is incorrect or missing, you will get this error:

{
    "status": 401,
    "type": "unauthorized",
    "title": "Invalid Token"
}