API Authentication

Last updated March 23, 2026

Every request to the PDFMonkey API must include your secret API key. This page explains how to find your key, send it with requests, and verify that authentication works.

Find your API secret key

Your API secret key is available on the dedicated API Key page in the PDFMonkey Dashboard, accessible directly from the sidebar.

Keep your key secret

Your API secret key carries the same privileges as your account. Do not share it publicly or commit it to version control. If you believe your key has been compromised, regenerate it from the API Key page.

Send your key with requests

Pass your key in the Authorization HTTP header, prefixed with Bearer:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY

Make a test API call

To verify that authentication works, call the current_user endpoint:

GET https://api.pdfmonkey.io/api/v1/current_user
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY

Using curl, the request looks like this:

curl https://api.pdfmonkey.io/api/v1/current_user \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY"

A successful response returns your account information:

{
  "current_user": {
    "id": "12345678-90ab-cdef-1234-567890abcdef",
    "auth_token": "1234567890ABCDEF1234",
    "available_documents": 300,
    "created_at": "2022-01-01T12:34:56.123+00:00",
    "current_plan": "free",
    "current_plan_interval": "month",
    "desired_name": "Jane Doe",
    "email": "jane.doe@example.com",
    "lang": "en",
    "paying_customer": false,
    "trial_ends_on": "2022-01-15",
    "updated_at": "2022-01-01T12:34:56.123+00:00",
    "block_resources": true,
    "share_links": false
  }
}

Authentication errors

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

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "status": "401",
      "title": "Unauthorized",
      "detail": "We were unable to authenticate you based on the provided API key. Please verify that you provided the intended key."
    }
  ]
}

Next steps

Now that you can authenticate, you are ready to:

Frequently asked questions

How do I authenticate with the PDFMonkey API?
Pass your secret API key in the Authorization HTTP header as a Bearer token. The format is: Authorization: Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY. Every request to the PDFMonkey API requires this header.
Where do I find my PDFMonkey API key?
Your API secret key is available on the API Key page in the PDFMonkey Dashboard, accessible directly from the sidebar.
What should I do if my PDFMonkey API key is compromised?
Regenerate it immediately from the API Key page in the Dashboard. The old key will stop working and a new one will be issued.
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