Setting Up API Key Authentication

API keys provide an alternative method for authenticating API requests without using usernames and passwords.

Step 1: Create an API Key

Create an API key using the Elasticsearch REST API:

curl -u my_user:mypassword -X POST "localhost:9200/_security/api_key" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d'
{
  "name": "my_api_key",
  "role_descriptors": {
    "my_role": {
      "cluster": ["all"],
      "index": [
        {
          "names": ["*"],
          "privileges": ["all"]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}'

Step 2: Authenticate API Requests with the API Key

Include the API key in the request header.

Example: Indexing a Document

curl -H "Authorization: ApiKey <base64-encoded-api-key>" -X POST "localhost:9200/myindex/_doc/1" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' -d'
{
  "name": "Jane Doe",
  "age": 25,
  "city": "San Francisco"
}'

To base64-encode the API key, use the following command (replace id:key with your actual API key):

echo -n "id:key" | base64

Output

The response indicates that the document is indexed successfully:

{
  "_index": "myindex",
  "_id": "1",
  "_version": 1,
  "result": "created",
  "_shards": {
    "total": 2,
    "successful": 1,
    "failed": 0
  }
}

Elasticsearch is a powerful distributed search and analytics engine widely used for logging, monitoring, and data analysis. To protect your data and ensure secure access, setting up API authentication is essential.

This article will guide you through the process of configuring Elasticsearch API authentication with detailed examples and outputs. We will cover basic authentication, API keys, and role-based access control (RBAC).