Proxy Authorization in API Using Headers

API authorization is essential for secure access to Geonode’s proxy services.

This guide explains how to authenticate API requests using Authorization with the Authorization header.

Get your users credentails

Before setting up a authenticatation, you need your user credentails details.

Geonode’s API requires your username and password to be Base64-encoded to form the Authorization header.

Go to the API documentation for the specific endpoint you wish to use (e.g., Retrieve Usage Statistics).
Click the Try it button on the API documentation page.
A popup will open asking for your username and password. Enter these details.
The system will automatically generate the Authorization header for you with the Base64-encoded string.
Copy the generated Authorization header or the Base64-encoded string. You can either use the generated header directly or copy the Base64 value for use in your code.

Generate the Token Once: Generate your authorization token once and reuse it.
Store Securely: Save the token in an environment file (.env) for better security.
Avoid Hardcoding: Never hardcode tokens directly into your codebase.
Use HTTPS: Always make API calls over HTTPS to protect sensitive information.
Rotate Credentials Regularly: Update your credentials periodically to enhance security. Keep in mind, updating credentials means updating the token. You will need to generate a new token whenever new credentials are created.

Ensure that your Authorization header is formatted correctly and includes a properly Base64-encoded username and password. Also, verify that your credentials are correct.
Ensure that you are encoding username:password exactly as specified, without any extra spaces or characters.
Make sure you are using HTTPS in your API requests. If you are behind a corporate firewall, check if SSL interception is interfering.
Use a tool like Postman or cURL to send test requests and verify if authorization is working.
Immediately change your password, regenerate your API credentials, and update your token in your code.

If you encounter any issues, refer to the troubleshooting section or Geonode support.