# Authentication

All API calls are authenticated by providing your API key in the `X-API-Key` header.

## Accessing Your API Key

1. Log in to your account at https://app.useonward.com
2. Navigate to the Onward API tab in your account settings
3. Copy your API Key and store it securely


This API key is a secret and should only be used for server-to-server communication.

## Example Request

```bash
curl --request POST \
     --url https://app.useonward.com/api/v1/orders \
     --header 'X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY_HERE' \
     ...
```

*Replace `YOUR_API_KEY_HERE` with your actual key.*

## Testing

See [Testing](/topics/testing) for information about Test API Keys.