API Authentication Credentials

This page describes a feature available in version 7.2 and above

The WHMCS API is available for administrative actions and its usage is described in depth within our developer API documentation.

WHMCS version 7.2 introduces the ability to generate unique API authentication credentials. This allows for better management and security for provisioning access to API connected devices and systems. API authentication with an admin's login username and password is allowed for backwards compatibility, however it is not recommended and may be deprecated in a future release.

Managing API Credentials

Admin API authentication credentials are managed in the Admin area by navigating to Setup > Staff Management > Manage API Credentials

Creating Admin API Authentication Credentials

Click the Generate New API Credential button to open Generate New API Credential dialog screen. You must select the admin member of staff for whom the new credential will authenticate. You may optionally provide a description for contextual reference.

Click the Generate button to provision a unique API credential for the selected admin user. The dialog screen will update and provide the credential Identifier and Secret. These two values should be used in leu of the admin's username and password for API authentication. To the right of each value is a quick copy button for your convenience.

You must copy the Secret value. It will not be available at a later time due to cryptographic security. If you fail to copy this value, a new credential pair will need to be generated

After you have copied and saved the Identifier and Secret in a private and secure location, you may exit the dialog screen by clicking either the X at the top right corner or outside the dialog screen.

Once a credential pair has been generated, it will be itemized in the API Credentials table.

You may create as many API credential pairs for an admin as you require. You may remove any credential pair to invalidate access and authentication attempts that are received with that Identifier.

Furthermore, you may alter the admin's login password freely without invalidating credentials provisioned by this feature. If you disable or remove entirely an admin user, any associated API credentials will become invalid. As noted above, if your copy of the Secret is forgot or otherwise unknown, simply create a new API credential pair, then use the freshly generated Identifier and Secret in your integration. We advise you promptly delete the former credential pair whose secret is unknown

Updating Credential Descriptions

You may update the description for a credential at any time. This field is provided to enable effective management of multiple credentials associated with a given admin users and for your contextual use.

To update a description, locate the desired credential by utilizing the API Credential table's search function and/or by using column sorting & pagination. Once you have found the credential, click the current description to active the editor.

Once you have typed in the new description, click the check button to the immediate right.

Removing Admin API Authentication Credentials

You may revoke API authentication by removing a generated credential.

To remove a authentication with a given credential, locate the desired credential by utilizing the API Credential table's search function and/or by using column sorting & pagination. Once you have found the credential to be removed, click the delete button found in the right most column of that row.

A confirmation dialog screen will be presented. Click the Delete Credentials button to permanently remove the credential.