> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lenses.io/latest/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lenses.io/latest/devx/5.5/resources/api-reference/authentication-api.md).

# Authentication API

This page describes how to authentication against Lenses APIs.

All requests must be authenticated using an HTTP Header **`x-kafka-lenses-token:myToken`**. You can obtain the token via the following login API or you can use a service account.

All REST APIs are protected via **role-based** authentication that is either BASIC or LDAP based, depending on how Lenses security has been set up. In order to be able to use the APIs, you will need to first authenticate via an appropriate user, then receive an access token and use that token for any subsequent request.

<mark style="color:green;">`POST`</mark>`/api/login`

**Headers**

| Name         | Value              |
| ------------ | ------------------ |
| Content-Type | `application/json` |

**Body**

| Name       | Type   | Description          |
| ---------- | ------ | -------------------- |
| `user`     | string | Name of the user     |
| `password` | string | Password of the user |

**Response**

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="200" %}

```json
"a1f44cb8-0f37-4b96-828c-57bbd8d4934b"
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="401" %}

```json
UNAUTHORIZED
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

To run the example below, we recommend installing the [jq tool](https://stedolan.github.io/jq/download/)

### **Example Request**

{% code fullWidth="false" %}

```bash
 # login and receive the access token
HOST="http://localhost:3030"
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type:application/json" \
-d '{"user":"admin",  "password":"admin"}' \
${HOST}/api/login -s --compressed -w '\n'
```

{% endcode %}

### **Example Response**

```
"a1f44cb8-0f37-4b96-828c-57bbd8d4934b"
```


---

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