# Authentication

> How to authenticate requests to the Menace Voice API

## API key authentication

API keys are the recommended way to authenticate programmatic requests. Pass your key in the `X-API-Key` request header.

```bash
curl https://your-menace-voice-instance/api/v1/workflow/fetch \
  -H "X-API-Key: dg_your_api_key"
```

API keys are scoped to an organization. All resources created or accessed using a key belong to that organization.

### Create an API key

Create keys in the dashboard under **Settings → API Keys**. The full key is shown **only once** at creation time — store it immediately in a secrets manager or environment variable.

<Note>
For self-hosted deployments using local auth, sign up and log in via the dashboard first, then create an API key there before making API calls.
</Note>

### Manage API keys

| Action | Method | Path |
|---|---|---|
| List keys | `GET` | `/user/api-keys` |
| Create key | `POST` | `/user/api-keys` |
| Archive key | `DELETE` | `/user/api-keys/{api_key_id}` |
| Reactivate key | `PUT` | `/user/api-keys/{api_key_id}/reactivate` |

Archiving a key immediately revokes it. All subsequent requests using that key return `401`.

---

## Error responses

| Status | Cause |
|---|---|
| `401 Unauthorized` | Missing, invalid, or expired credentials |
| `403 Forbidden` | Valid credentials but insufficient permissions for the resource |

```json
{
  "detail": "Invalid or expired API key"
}
```