---
type: api
title: Authentication
url: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/cloud-connect/authentication
resource: https://www.elastic.co/elastic/docs-builder/docs/4371/api/doc/cloud-connect/authentication
products:
  - Elastic Cloud Hosted
---

# Authentication

## Api key (apiKey)

API keys are used to authenticate requests to the Elastic Cloud Connected REST API.
Generate your secret API key in https://cloud.elastic.co/account/keys
You must provide the API key for all API requests in the Authorization header as follows:
```
"Authorization: ApiKey $API_KEY"
```
For example, if you interact with the API using the curl command:
```
curl -H "Authorization: ApiKey essu_..." https://api.elastic-cloud.com/api/v1/cloud-connected/clusters
```

```http
Authorization: <value>
```