docs/api/authentication.md

metadata

description: Authentication for n8n's public REST API.
contentType: howto

API authentication

n8n uses API keys to authenticate API calls.

/// info | Feature availability The n8n API isn't available during the free trial. Please upgrade to access this feature. ///

API Scopes

Users of enterprise instances can limit which resources and actions a key can access with scopes. API key scopes allow you specify the exact level of access a key needs for its intended purpose.

Non-enterprise API keys have full access to all the account's resources and capabilities.

Create an API key

1. Log in to n8n.
2. Go to Settings > n8n API.
3. Select Create an API key.
4. Choose a Label and set an Expiration time for the key.
5. If on an enterprise plan, choose the Scopes to give the key.
6. Copy My API Key and use this key to authenticate your calls.

Call the API using your key

Send the API key in your API call as a header named X-N8N-API-KEY.

For example, say you want to get all active workflows. Your curl request will look like this:

# For a self-hosted n8n instance
curl -X 'GET' \
  '<N8N_HOST>:<N8N_PORT>/<N8N_PATH>/api/v<version-number>/workflows?active=true' \
  -H 'accept: application/json' \
  -H 'X-N8N-API-KEY: <your-api-key>'

# For n8n Cloud
curl -X 'GET' \
  '<your-cloud-instance>/api/v<version-number>/workflows?active=true' \
  -H 'accept: application/json' \
  -H 'X-N8N-API-KEY: <your-api-key>'

Delete an API key

1. Log in to n8n.
2. Go to Settings > n8n API.
3. Select Delete next to the key you want to delete.
4. Confirm the delete by selecting Delete Forever.