Authentication

How to authenticate with the Power Signals API using API keys.

Authentication

The Power Signals API uses API key authentication. Include your key in the X-API-KEY header with every request.

curl -H "X-API-KEY: ps_live_abc123..." https://api.powersignals.co.za/api/v1/grid/system-state

Getting an API Key

1. Sign in to your Power Signals dashboard
2. Navigate to API Keys
3. Click Create New Key and provide a descriptive name
4. Copy the key immediately — it is only displayed once

Store your API key securely. Never commit it to version control or expose it in client-side code.

Using Your API Key

Pass the key in the X-API-KEY header:

cURL

curl -H "X-API-KEY: your_api_key_here" \
  "https://api.powersignals.co.za/api/v1/grid/system-state?start=2026-01-01T00:00:00Z&end=2026-01-02T00:00:00Z"

Key Management

Multiple Keys

You can create multiple API keys for different environments or applications. Each key has:

• Name — A label you choose (e.g. “Production”, “Staging”, “Analytics Pipeline”)
• Prefix — The first few characters, shown in your dashboard for identification
• Created date — When the key was generated
• Last used — When the key was last used to make a request

Revoking Keys

If a key is compromised or no longer needed:

1. Go to API Keys in your dashboard
2. Find the key by its prefix or name
3. Click Revoke

Revocation is immediate and irreversible. Any requests using the revoked key will receive a 401 Unauthorized response.

Endpoint Authentication

All endpoints require authentication:

Endpoint	Auth Required
GET /api/v1/grid/system-state	Yes
GET /api/v1/features/grid-stress	Yes

Error Responses

If authentication fails, you’ll receive:

{
  "detail": "Authentication credentials were not provided."
}

Or if the key is invalid/revoked:

{
  "detail": "Invalid API key."
}

Security Best Practices

• Use environment variables to store your API key
• Create separate keys for development and production
• Rotate keys periodically
• Revoke keys immediately if compromised
• Never share keys between teams — create one per person or service