# About API credentials

This section describes how to create, activate, and validate your organization's credentials, also known as _access keys_, to start using Shipium's APIs. You have two options for credentials: [API key-based authentication](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/api-key-based-authentication) or [OAuth 2.0-based authentication](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/oauth-20-based-authentication).

### Admin permission needed

You need **administrator permission** within the [Shipium Console](https://partner.shipium.com/login) to use the procedures in this section.

Once you've created your organization's API credentials, you'll need to ensure that you have saved the generated **authentication ID** (API Key ID or Client ID) and **secret** (API Key, also known as a _password_, or Client Secret) securely. Shipium cannot retrieve these credentials for you.

### Authentication IDs and secrets cannot be retrieved if lost

In order to keep your organization's data secure, the **API Key ID** and **API Key** (secret, or password) or the **Client ID** and **Client Secret** created for authentication for each key are displayed once and cannot be retrieved again.

No Shipium employee or system has these values – only the ability to cryptographically validate them.

# How to create your access key (credentials)

To create your organization's access key, you'll need to access the [Shipium Console](https://partner.shipium.com/login). Once logged into the Shipium Console, you should complete the following steps:

1. In the lefthand navigation menu, select **Configure** and then **Access Keys**.

2. You'll see two tabs on the screen: **API Keys** and **Oauth Clients**.

3. If you want to create an API key-based access key, select the **API Keys** tab. Then select the **Create Key** button at the bottom of the page and skip to step 5.

4. If you want to create an OAuth 2.0 access key, select the **Oauth Clients** tab. Then select the **Create Oauth Client** button at the bottom of the page and proceed to step 5.

**The following steps apply to both key types.**

5. In the **Create Key** / **Create Oauth Client** dialog, enter a meaningful name for the key or Oauth client. Then select the **Create** button. Many companies create multiple keys/clients for different parts of their organization or different software use cases, and these names can help keep track of a key/client's purpose.

6. The dialog in the screenshots below is displayed, depending on your selected authorization workflow. The first screenshot shows the **API Key ID** (ID) and **API Key** (secret) created in API Keys that you'll use for authentication to access the APIs. It also includes the **Basic Auth Token**, which is a Base64-encoded value of the combined API Key ID and API Key. The second screenshot shows the **Client ID** and **Client Secret** created in OAuth Clients that you'll use for API access. Click the **Download** button and save these somewhere secure.

**What's next?**

_For API keys._ Follow the instructions in [API Key-Based Authentication](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/api-key-based-authentication) to start making API calls.

_For OAuth clients._ Follow the instructions in [OAuth 2.0-Based Authentication](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/oauth-20-based-authentication) to retrieve your access token and start making API calls.

### Your _ID_ and _secret_ are only visible once and cannot be retrieved after this, even by Shipium.

7. Click the **Got it!** button to return to the initial tab.

### Validate your newly activated access key

You can **check that your newly activated key is working correctly** for accessing Shipium's APIs by following the details for the appropriate type of authentication on the following pages:

- [API Key-Based Authentication](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/api-key-based-authentication)
- [OAuth 2.0-Based Authentication](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/oauth-20-based-authentication)

Your organization may wish to create multiple keys/clients for different parts of your organization or different software use cases.

### Create multiple keys

To **create multiple keys** for different parts of your organization or different software use cases:

- click **Create Key** or **Create Oauth Client** again; and
- repeat steps 5-7 to create further keys.

## Activate and deactivate your access keys

By default, keys are created in an active state. You can use the **Deactivate Key** button for each key to update its status from **Configured Keys** within the **API Keys** tab or from **Configured Oauth Clients** within the **Oauth Clients** tab under the **Access Keys** page.

# Resources

Your Shipium team member is available to help along the way. However, you might find these resources helpful:

- [Terms and Definitions](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/common-terms)
- [Troubleshooting Guide](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/troubleshooting-guide)
- [Contact Shipium Support](https://docs.shipium.com/docs/contacting-shipium-support)