Generate REST API Access Key

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Gainsight NXT

IMPORTANT: Gainsight is upgrading Connectors 2.0 with Horizon Experience. This article applies to tenants which have been upgraded to the Horizon Experience for Connectors 2.0. If you are using Connectors 2.0 with the previous version, you can find the documentation here.

This article explains how Admins can generate the Gainsight API Access and M2M OAuth key.

Overview

Gainsight uses the API Access key and M2M OAuth to authenticate REST API requests securely. Admins can generate the API keys that developers use in the request headers to access Gainsight services.

Limitations:

Only one Access key can be created per organization.
A maximum of 15 M2M OAuth keys can be created per organization.

Gainsight authenticates the REST API requests by verifying the key. If authentication succeeds, developers gain access to the Gainsight platform via REST APIs.

You can reset the existing access keys anytime. However, ensure the new key is updated in all future API request headers.

Generate Access Key

To interact with Gainsight APIs, developers need an Access Key for authentication. To generate the Access key:

Navigate to the Administration > Connectors 2.0.
Click Create Connection. The Create Connection dialog box appears.
From the Connector dropdown list, select Gainsight API.
In the Name of the connection field, enter the name of the connection.
In the Authentication Type, select the Access_Key.
Click Generate Access Key.

A new access key is generated which you can copy and use for authentication in all REST API requests to Gainsight.

Create Connection dialog for Gainsight API, with Access Key selected as the authorization type and an option to generate the key.

Edit Gainsight API Connection

Admins can edit the Gainsight API Connection to reset the existing API access key.

To reset the existing API access key:

Click the three vertical dots of the created Connection and select Edit Connection. The Edit Connection dialog appears.
Click Re-Generate Access Key to generate a new access key.
Click Re-Generate on the confirmation message.

A new access key is generated, which you can copy and use for authentication in all future REST API requests to Gainsight.

Edit connection settings in Gainsight API with access key or OAuth options.

Note: The new access key should be replaced in the headers of all future API requests. If it is not replaced, all future API requests to the specific Gainsight org will fail.

Generate M2M OAuth Key

To generate the M2M OAuth key:

Navigate to Administration > Connectors 2.0.
Click Create Connection. The Create Connection dialog appears.
From the Connector dropdown list, select Gainsight API.
In the Name of the connection field, enter the name of the connection.
In the Authentication Type, select the OAuth.
Click Generate OAuth Credentials.

New OAuth API Key and OAuth API Secret keys are generated, which you can copy and use for authentication in all of the REST API requests to Gainsight.

Note:

M2M OAuth can be created and managed only by super admins.
M2M OAuth cannot be used for Event APIs.
Two different M2M connections cannot have the same name for a single connection.

Create Connection dialog for Gainsight API with OAuth selected as the authorization type and fields for API key and secret