# Authentication

### Authorization Header

To authenticate, add an x-http-authorization header to your API request that contains an API Key.

### API Keys

IAF CertSearch’s Verification Users API supports the use of API Keys. API Keys allow you to use another method of authentication separate from your account username and password. API Keys add an additional layer of security for your account and can be assigned to limit which areas of your account can be accessed. API Keys can be generated in your account. To use keys, you must set a plain text header named “x-http-authorization” with the contents of the header being “(API Key)” where (API Key) is your API Secret Key.

### Example Header

```http
GET {API_URL}/sample-endpoint HTTP/1.1
x-http-authorization: Your.API.Key-HERE
```

```
curl -X "GET" "{API_URL}/sample-endpoint" -H "x-http-authorization: Your.API.Key-HERE" -H "Content-Type: application/json"
```

For more information about the API URL, see the [requests](/verification-users-api-developer-guide/api-integration/requests.md) page.


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