API Authentication

Learn how to authenticate your requests to the Helmbay API.

Authentication Methods

API Key

Use API keys for server-to-server authentication

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your-api-key" \
  https://api.helmbay.com/v1/repositories

OAuth2

Use OAuth2 for third-party application integration

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer oauth-token" \
  https://api.helmbay.com/v1/repositories

API Key Authentication

Generate API Key

Create a new API key in the dashboard

  1. 1. Navigate to Account Settings
  2. 2. Select API Keys tab
  3. 3. Click "Generate New Key"
  4. 4. Set key name and permissions
  5. 5. Copy and securely store the key

Use API Key

Include the API key in request headers

  1. 1. Add Authorization header
  2. 2. Use Bearer authentication scheme
  3. 3. Include API key as token

OAuth2 Authentication

1

Authorization Request

Redirect user to authorization endpoint

https://helmbay.com/oauth/authorize?
  client_id=your-client-id
  &redirect_uri=https://your-app.com/callback
  &response_type=code
  &scope=repo:read repo:write
2

Exchange Code

Exchange authorization code for access token

curl -X POST https://helmbay.com/oauth/token \
  -d client_id=your-client-id \
  -d client_secret=your-client-secret \
  -d code=authorization-code \
  -d grant_type=authorization_code
3

Use Access Token

Include access token in API requests

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer access-token" \
  https://api.helmbay.com/v1/repositories

Available Scopes

Scope Description
repo:read Read access to repositories
repo:write Write access to repositories
team:read Read access to teams
team:write Write access to teams
org:read Read access to organizations
org:write Write access to organizations

Security Best Practices

API Key Security

  • Never share API keys
  • Use environment variables
  • Rotate keys regularly
  • Use minimal required permissions

OAuth Security

  • Validate redirect URIs
  • Use state parameter
  • Implement PKCE
  • Secure client secrets

Next Steps

Now that you understand authentication, explore the available API endpoints.

API Endpoints Reference →