API Guides

Authentication Guide

All API Codex APIs use RapidAPI's authentication system for secure access. This guide covers everything you need to know about authenticating your requests.

Overview

API Codex APIs are accessed through RapidAPI's infrastructure, which provides:

• Unified Authentication: Single API key for all services
• Automatic Key Management: Built-in rotation and security
• Usage Tracking: Real-time monitoring and analytics
• Enhanced Security: Enterprise-grade protection

Getting Your API Key

Step 1: Create RapidAPI Account

1. Visit RapidAPI.com
2. Click "Sign Up" and create your free account
3. Verify your email address
4. Complete your profile setup

Step 2: Subscribe to API Codex APIs

1. Navigate to API Codex Organization
2. Choose the API you want to use
3. Click "Subscribe" and select a plan (free tier available)
4. Your API key is automatically generated

Step 3: Find Your API Key

Your RapidAPI key can be found in multiple locations:

• RapidAPI Dashboard: Navigate to "My Apps" → "Security"
• API Endpoint Page: Your key is included in code snippets
• Developer Dashboard: Under "Default Application"

Authentication Headers

All API requests require two headers:

Code
 
x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY
x-rapidapi-host: API_HOST_NAME

Header Requirements

Header	Description	Example
x-rapidapi-key	Your unique RapidAPI key	a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0
x-rapidapi-host	The API host endpoint	advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com

Implementation Examples

JavaScript/Node.js

Code
 
const response = await fetch(
  'https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=example.com',
  {
    headers: {
      'x-rapidapi-key': process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY,
      'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
    }
  }
);
const data = await response.json();

Python

Code
 
import requests

response = requests.get(
    'https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check',
    headers={
        'x-rapidapi-key': os.environ['RAPIDAPI_KEY'],
        'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
    },
    params={'name': 'example.com'}
)
data = response.json()

PHP

Code
 
$curl = curl_init('https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=example.com');
curl_setopt_array($curl, [
    CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
    CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
        'x-rapidapi-key: ' . getenv('RAPIDAPI_KEY'),
        'x-rapidapi-host: advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
    ]
]);
$response = json_decode(curl_exec($curl), true);

Security Best Practices

1. Never Expose Keys in Client-Side Code

❌ Bad Practice:

Code
 
// Never do this in frontend code
const API_KEY = 'a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0'; // Exposed to users!

✅ Good Practice:

Code
 
// Backend proxy endpoint
app.post('/api/dns-lookup', async (req, res) => {
  const response = await fetch(apiUrl, {
    headers: {
      'x-rapidapi-key': process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY, // Server-side only
      'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
    }
  });
  res.json(await response.json());
});

2. Use Environment Variables

.env file:

Code
 
RAPIDAPI_KEY=your_actual_api_key_here
RAPIDAPI_HOST=advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com

Node.js:

Code
 
require('dotenv').config();

const headers = {
  'x-rapidapi-key': process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY,
  'x-rapidapi-host': process.env.RAPIDAPI_HOST
};

Python:

Code
 
import os
from dotenv import load_dotenv

load_dotenv()

headers = {
    'x-rapidapi-key': os.getenv('RAPIDAPI_KEY'),
    'x-rapidapi-host': os.getenv('RAPIDAPI_HOST')
}

3. Implement Key Rotation

For high-availability applications, maintain both primary and secondary API keys. If the primary key fails (403 error), automatically switch to the secondary key and alert your team to investigate.

4. Secure Storage Options

Development Environment

• Use .env files (never commit to version control)
• Add .env to .gitignore

Production Environment

• AWS: AWS Secrets Manager or Parameter Store
• Azure: Azure Key Vault
• Google Cloud: Secret Manager
• Heroku: Config Vars
• Vercel: Environment Variables
• Docker: Docker Secrets

For production, use your cloud provider's secret management service (AWS Secrets Manager, Azure Key Vault, Google Secret Manager) to securely store and retrieve API keys.

Authentication Errors

Common Authentication Issues

Error Code	Description	Solution
401	Invalid or missing API key	Check your API key is correct
403	Forbidden - Key not authorized	Verify subscription status
429	Too many requests	Implement rate limiting
503	Service temporarily unavailable	Retry with exponential backoff

Error Handling Example

Code
 
if (!response.ok) {
  switch (response.status) {
    case 401: throw new Error('Invalid API key');
    case 403: throw new Error('Subscription expired or forbidden');
    case 429: throw new Error('Rate limit exceeded');
    default: throw new Error(`Error: ${response.status}`);
  }
}

Testing Authentication

Quick Test Script

Code
 
# Test your API key with curl
curl -X GET "https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=test.com" \
  -H "x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "x-rapidapi-host: advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com"

Multi-API Authentication

Your RapidAPI key works across all API Codex APIs. Simply change the x-rapidapi-host header to switch between services:

Service	Host
DNS Lookup	advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com
Email Intelligence	email-intelligence-api.p.rapidapi.com
Text Analysis	text-analysis-api.p.rapidapi.com

Troubleshooting

Checklist for Authentication Issues

1. ✓ Verify API key is correct (no extra spaces or characters)
2. ✓ Check subscription status on RapidAPI dashboard
3. ✓ Ensure headers are properly formatted
4. ✓ Verify API endpoint URL is correct
5. ✓ Check if API key has proper permissions
6. ✓ Ensure you're not exceeding rate limits
7. ✓ Verify network connectivity and firewall settings

Next Steps

• Review Rate Limiting to understand usage limits
• Learn about Error Handling for robust applications
• Check Best Practices for production deployments
• Explore our API Catalog to start building

Need Help?

• RapidAPI Support: Available through your RapidAPI dashboard
• API Codex Support: Contact us for API-specific questions
• Community: Join discussions on RapidAPI forums
• Documentation: Browse our comprehensive guides