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All Publive API requests require authentication via HTTP headers. Both the Content Delivery Service (CDS) and Content Management Service (CMS) use the same authentication method.

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Authentication Headers

Include these headers with every API request:
HeaderTypeRequiredDescription
usernamestringYesYour unique API key provided by Publive
passwordstringYesYour API secret provided by Publive

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Example Request

curl -X GET \
  'https://cds.thepublive.com/publisher/{publisher_id}/posts/' \
  -H 'username: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'password: YOUR_API_SECRET'
For CMS API requests that send data, also include the Content-Type header: 
curl -X POST \
  'https://cms.thepublive.com/publisher/{publisher_id}/category/' \
  -H 'username: YOUR_API_KEY' \
  -H 'password: YOUR_API_SECRET' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"name": "Technology", "english_name": "Technology"}'

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Getting Your Credentials

  1. Log in to your Publive Dashboard
  2. Go to Settings > API Keys
  3. Your API Key is the username value
  4. Your API Secret is the password value
  5. Your Publisher ID is visible in your dashboard URL

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Authentication Errors

If authentication fails, the API returns a 401 Unauthorized response: 
{
  "status": "error",
  "message": "Unauthorized"
}
Common causes:
  • Missing username or password header
  • Invalid or expired API credentials
  • Using CMS credentials for a CDS endpoint (or vice versa)
Security Best Practices:
  • Never expose API credentials in client-side JavaScript
  • Use environment variables to store credentials
  • Rotate API keys periodically
  • Use the CDS API (read-only) for public-facing applications and reserve CMS API access for server-side operations

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Publisher ID

Every API endpoint requires your publisher_id in the URL path: 
https://cds.thepublive.com/publisher/{publisher_id}/posts/
https://cms.thepublive.com/publisher/{publisher_id}/post/
Your Publisher ID is a unique numeric identifier assigned to your organization. You can find it in your Publive Dashboard URL.