Authentication

How to authenticate requests to the ActiveNow API with an API key

Every request to the ActiveNow API is authenticated with your school's API key. You pass the key in the Authorization header, which lets an external system act on your school's data without a user logging in.

Where to get an API key

You create API keys in the ActiveNow admin panel.

1

Open the API settings

Go to Settings → API.

2

Create a new key

Under API Keys, click Create new key. Copy the generated key right away — it starts with sk_.

How to authenticate a request

Add the key to the Authorization header as a Bearer token:

Authorization: Bearer sk_...

Example request that creates a participant:

curl https://app.activenow.io/api/v1/participants \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_..." \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"first_name": "Jan", "last_name": "Kowalski", "email": "[e-mail]"}'

If the key is invalid or missing, the API returns a 401 Unauthorized response.

Treat your API key like a password — never put it in front-end code or public repositories. If a key leaks, delete it under Settings → API and create a new one.