Authentication

All API requests require authentication using an API key.

API Key Authentication

ReputeAPI uses API keys passed via the X-API-Key HTTP header.

Example Request

curl -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key-here" \
  https://api.reputeapi.com/api/v1/check?domain=example.com

Getting Your API Key

  1. Sign up at reputeapi.com
  2. Navigate to your dashboard
  3. Click "API Keys" → "Create New Key"
  4. Copy your API key (you won't see it again!)
  5. Store it securely in environment variables

Best Practices

Store Keys Securely

❌ Never do this: 

api_key = "sk_live_1234567890abcdef"  # Hardcoded!

✅ Do this instead: 

import os
api_key = os.getenv("REPUTE_API_KEY")

Environment Variables

Bash/Zsh: 

export REPUTE_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

Windows PowerShell: 

$env:REPUTE_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

.env file: 

REPUTE_API_KEY=your-api-key-here

Rotate Keys Regularly

Generate new keys periodically and revoke old ones:

  1. Generate new API key
  2. Update your applications
  3. Verify everything works
  4. Revoke the old key

Testing Your API Key

curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  https://api.reputeapi.com/api/v1/check?domain=google.com

Expected response: 

{
  "domain": "google.com",
  "score": 95,
  "grade": "Excellent",
  ...
}

Error Responses

Missing API Key

{
  "error": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "API key required. Get your key at https://reputeapi.com"
}

HTTP Status: 401 Unauthorized

Invalid API Key

{
  "error": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "Invalid API key"
}

HTTP Status: 401 Unauthorized

Revoked API Key

{
  "error": "Unauthorized",
  "message": "This API key has been revoked"
}

HTTP Status: 401 Unauthorized

Multiple API Keys

Create separate keys for different environments:

  • Production: REPUTE_PROD_API_KEY
  • Staging: REPUTE_STAGING_API_KEY
  • Development: REPUTE_DEV_API_KEY

This allows you to: - Track usage per environment - Revoke keys without affecting other environments - Set different rate limits

Next Steps