Create an API key

POST also PUT /_security/api_key

Create an API key for access without requiring basic authentication.

Important

If the credential that is used to authenticate this request is an API key, the derived API key cannot have any privileges. If you specify privileges, the API returns an error.

A successful request returns a JSON structure that contains the API key, its unique id, and its name. If applicable, it also returns expiration information for the API key in milliseconds.

Note

By default, API keys never expire. You can specify expiration information when you create the API keys.

The API keys are created by the Elasticsearch API key service, which is automatically enabled. To configure or turn off the API key service, refer to API key service setting documentation.

About API key service settings

Authentication

Api key

Authorization: <value>

Elasticsearch APIs support key-based authentication. You must create an API key and use the encoded value in the request header. For example:

		curl -X GET "${ES_URL}/_cat/indices?v=true" \
  -H "Authorization: ApiKey ${API_KEY}"

To get API keys, use the /_security/api_key APIs.

Basic

Authorization: Basic <credentials>

Bearer

Authorization: Bearer <token>

Elasticsearch APIs support the use of bearer tokens in the Authorization HTTP header to authenticate with the API. For examples, refer to Token-based authentication services

Request body

expiration string: The expiration time for the API key. By default, API keys never expire.
name string: A name for the API key.
role_descriptors map string to object: An array of role descriptors for this API key. When it is not specified or it is an empty array, the API key will have a point in time snapshot of permissions of the authenticated user. If you supply role descriptors, the resultant permissions are an intersection of API keys permissions and the authenticated user's permissions thereby limiting the access scope for API keys. The structure of role descriptor is the same as the request for the create role API. For more details, refer to the create or update roles API.

Note

Due to the way in which this permission intersection is calculated, it is not possible to create an API key that is a child of another API key, unless the derived key is created without any privileges. In this case, you must explicitly specify a role descriptor with no privileges. The derived API key can be used for authentication; it will not have authority to call Elasticsearch APIs.; Reference
metadata object: Arbitrary metadata that you want to associate with the API key. It supports nested data structure. Within the metadata object, keys beginning with _ are reserved for system usage.

Response

application/json

Examples

Request Console 1 / 8 languages

Run POST /_security/api_key to create an API key. If expiration is not provided, the API keys do not expire. If role_descriptors is not provided, the permissions of the authenticated user are applied.

Console Kibana Dev Tools

POST /_security/api_key
{
  "name": "my-api-key",
  "expiration": "1d",   
  "role_descriptors": { 
    "role-a": {
      "cluster": ["all"],
      "indices": [
        {
          "names": ["index-a*"],
          "privileges": ["read"]
        }
      ]
    },
    "role-b": {
      "cluster": ["all"],
      "indices": [
        {
          "names": ["index-b*"],
          "privileges": ["all"]
        }
      ]
    }
  },
  "metadata": {
    "application": "my-application",
    "environment": {
      "level": 1,
      "trusted": true,
      "tags": ["dev", "staging"]
    }
  }
}

JavaScript Elasticsearch JavaScript Client

const response = await client.security.createApiKey({
  name: "my-api-key",
  expiration: "1d",
  role_descriptors: {
    "role-a": {
      cluster: ["all"],
      indices: [
        {
          names: ["index-a*"],
          privileges: ["read"],
        },
      ],
    },
    "role-b": {
      cluster: ["all"],
      indices: [
        {
          names: ["index-b*"],
          privileges: ["all"],
        },
      ],
    },
  },
  metadata: {
    application: "my-application",
    environment: {
      level: 1,
      trusted: true,
      tags: ["dev", "staging"],
    },
  },
});

Python Elasticsearch Python Client

resp = client.security.create_api_key(
    name="my-api-key",
    expiration="1d",
    role_descriptors={
        "role-a": {
            "cluster": [
                "all"
            ],
            "indices": [
                {
                    "names": [
                        "index-a*"
                    ],
                    "privileges": [
                        "read"
                    ]
                }
            ]
        },
        "role-b": {
            "cluster": [
                "all"
            ],
            "indices": [
                {
                    "names": [
                        "index-b*"
                    ],
                    "privileges": [
                        "all"
                    ]
                }
            ]
        }
    },
    metadata={
        "application": "my-application",
        "environment": {
            "level": 1,
            "trusted": True,
            "tags": [
                "dev",
                "staging"
            ]
        }
    },
)

curl Shell

curl -X POST "$ELASTICSEARCH_URL/_security/api_key" \
  -H "Authorization: ApiKey $ELASTIC_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "my-api-key",
    "expiration": "1d",
    "role_descriptors": {
      "role-a": {
        "cluster": [
          "all"
        ],
        "indices": [
          {
            "names": [
              "index-a*"
            ],
            "privileges": [
              "read"
            ]
          }
        ]
      },
      "role-b": {
        "cluster": [
          "all"
        ],
        "indices": [
          {
            "names": [
              "index-b*"
            ],
            "privileges": [
              "all"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "metadata": {
      "application": "my-application",
      "environment": {
        "level": 1,
        "trusted": true,
        "tags": [
          "dev",
          "staging"
        ]
      }
    }
  }'

Java Elasticsearch Java Client

client.security().createApiKey(c -> c
    .expiration(e -> e
        .time("1d")
    )
    .metadata(Map.of("environment", JsonData.fromJson("""
{"level":1,"trusted":true,"tags":["dev","staging"]}
"""),"application", JsonData.fromJson("\"my-application\"")))
    .name("my-api-key")
    .roleDescriptors(Map.of("role-b", RoleDescriptor.roleDescriptorOf(r -> r
            .cluster("all")
            .indices(i -> i
                .names("index-b*")
                .privileges("all")
            )
        ),"role-a", RoleDescriptor.roleDescriptorOf(r -> r
            .cluster("all")
            .indices(i -> i
                .names("index-a*")
                .privileges("read")
            )
        )))
);

C# Elasticsearch .NET Client

var response = await client.Security
    .CreateApiKeyAsync(d1 => d1
        .Expiration("1d")
        .Metadata(new Dictionary<string, object>()
        {
            { "application", "my-application" },
            { "environment", JsonSerializer.Deserialize<JsonElement>("""
            {
              "level": 1,
              "trusted": true,
              "tags": [
                "dev",
                "staging"
              ]
            }
            """) }
        })
        .Name("my-api-key")
        .RoleDescriptors(d2 => d2
            .Add("role-a", d3 => d3
                .Cluster(ClusterPrivilege.All)
                .Indices(d4 => d4
                    .Names(["index-a*"])
                    .Privileges(IndexPrivilege.Read)
                )
            )
            .Add("role-b", d3 => d3
                .Cluster(ClusterPrivilege.All)
                .Indices(d4 => d4
                    .Names(["index-b*"])
                    .Privileges(IndexPrivilege.All)
                )
            )
        )
    );

PHP Elasticsearch PHP Client

$resp = $client->security()->createApiKey([
    "body" => [
        "name" => "my-api-key",
        "expiration" => "1d",
        "role_descriptors" => [
            "role-a" => [
                "cluster" => array(
                    "all",
                ),
                "indices" => array(
                    [
                        "names" => array(
                            "index-a*",
                        ),
                        "privileges" => array(
                            "read",
                        ),
                    ],
                ),
            ],
            "role-b" => [
                "cluster" => array(
                    "all",
                ),
                "indices" => array(
                    [
                        "names" => array(
                            "index-b*",
                        ),
                        "privileges" => array(
                            "all",
                        ),
                    ],
                ),
            ],
        ],
        "metadata" => [
            "application" => "my-application",
            "environment" => [
                "level" => 1,
                "trusted" => true,
                "tags" => array(
                    "dev",
                    "staging",
                ),
            ],
        ],
    ],
]);

Ruby Elasticsearch Ruby Client

response = client.security.create_api_key(
  body: {
    "name": "my-api-key",
    "expiration": "1d",
    "role_descriptors": {
      "role-a": {
        "cluster": [
          "all"
        ],
        "indices": [
          {
            "names": [
              "index-a*"
            ],
            "privileges": [
              "read"
            ]
          }
        ]
      },
      "role-b": {
        "cluster": [
          "all"
        ],
        "indices": [
          {
            "names": [
              "index-b*"
            ],
            "privileges": [
              "all"
            ]
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "metadata": {
      "application": "my-application",
      "environment": {
        "level": 1,
        "trusted": true,
        "tags": [
          "dev",
          "staging"
        ]
      }
    }
  }
)

Response

A successful response from POST /_security/api_key.

{
  "id": "VuaCfGcBCdbkQm-e5aOx",        
  "name": "my-api-key",
  "expiration": 1544068612110,         
  "api_key": "ui2lp2axTNmsyakw9tvNnw", 
  "encoded": "VnVhQ2ZHY0JDZGJrUW0tZTVhT3g6dWkybHAyYXhUTm1zeWFrdzl0dk5udw=="  
}

Create an API key

Required authorization

Authentication

Query parameters

Request body

Response

Required authorization

Authentication

Query parameters

Request body { }

Response

Request body