> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.polinate.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> Learn how to authenticate with the Polinate API using Business ID and API Key headers

# API Authentication

The Polinate API uses a simple header-based authentication system that requires two key pieces of information from your business settings. This guide will walk you through finding your credentials and implementing authentication in your requests.

<Info>
  All API requests must include both the Business ID and API Key headers for successful authentication.
</Info>

## Authentication Overview

Our API uses header-based authentication with two required headers:

* `X-Business-ID`: Your unique business identifier
* `X-API-Key`: Your secret API key for secure access

## Finding Your Credentials

Your authentication credentials are located in your Polinate business settings. Follow these steps to locate them:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Navigate to Business Settings">
    Log into your Polinate dashboard at [supplier.polinate.ai](https://supplier.polinate.ai) and navigate to your business settings.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Access the Integrations Section">
    In the business settings, look for the **Integrations** section in the sidebar or main navigation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy Your Credentials">
    You'll find two important values:

    * **Business ID**: A unique identifier for your business
    * **API Key**: A secret key used for authentication

    <Warning>
      Keep your API Key secure and never share it publicly. Treat it like a password.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="Location of Business ID and API Key in the Integrations section">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/polinatetest/evVGG6P6f8I4JCH6/images/business-settings.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=evVGG6P6f8I4JCH6&q=85&s=5fd3c0a1f9e3935107f3c628437a3012" alt="Screenshot showing the Business Settings page with the Integrations section highlighted, displaying Business ID and API Key fields" className="rounded-lg border" width="1808" height="1444" data-path="images/business-settings.png" />
</Frame>

## Implementation Examples

Here's how to include the authentication headers in your API requests:

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -X GET "https://api.polinate.ai/v1/your-endpoint" \
    -H "X-Business-ID: your-business-id-here" \
    -H "X-API-Key: your-api-key-here" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json"
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript/Node.js theme={null}
  const response = await fetch('https://api.polinate.ai/v1/your-endpoint', {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'X-Business-ID': 'your-business-id-here',
      'X-API-Key': 'your-api-key-here',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    }
  });

  const data = await response.json();
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  headers = {
      'X-Business-ID': 'your-business-id-here',
      'X-API-Key': 'your-api-key-here',
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }

  response = requests.get(
      'https://api.polinate.ai/v1/your-endpoint',
      headers=headers
  )

  data = response.json()
  ```

  ```php PHP theme={null}
  <?php
  $headers = [
      'X-Business-ID: your-business-id-here',
      'X-API-Key: your-api-key-here',
      'Content-Type: application/json'
  ];

  $ch = curl_init();
  curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://api.polinate.ai/v1/your-endpoint');
  curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, $headers);
  curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);

  $response = curl_exec($ch);
  curl_close($ch);

  $data = json_decode($response, true);
  ?>
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Authentication Headers Reference

<ResponseField name="X-Business-ID" type="string" required>
  Your unique business identifier found in the Integrations section of your business settings.

  **Example**: `bus_1234567890abcdef`
</ResponseField>

<ResponseField name="X-API-Key" type="string" required>
  Your secret API key for authentication. This key should be kept secure and never exposed in client-side code.

  **Example**: `1234567890abcdef1234567890abcdef`
</ResponseField>

## Error Response

Authentication errors return the following response when the provided headers are missing, invalid, or do not match your business credentials:

```json theme={null}
{
  "errorCode": "UNAUTHORIZED",
  "message": "Unauthorized",
  "requestId": "{{requestId}}"
}
```

* **errorCode**: Always `UNAUTHORIZED` for authentication failures.

* **message**: A human-readable description of the error.

* **requestId**: An identifier for the request, useful when contacting support.

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I can't find my Business ID or API Key">
    Make sure you're logged into the correct account at [supplier.polinate.ai](https://supplier.polinate.ai). Navigate to Business Settings → Integrations. If you still can't find them, contact our support team.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Getting 401 Unauthorized errors">
    Double-check that:

    * Both `X-Business-ID` and `X-API-Key` headers are included
    * The header names are spelled correctly (case-sensitive)
    * You're using the correct values from your business settings
    * Your API key hasn't expired or been revoked
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>
  Need help? Contact our support team at [support@polinate.ai](mailto:admin@polinate.ai) or join our [slack](https://www.polinate.ai).
</Note>