Authentication

All API requests to TinyValidator require authentication via API keys.

Creating API Keys

1. Log in to your dashboard
2. Find the API Keys section
3. Click Create Key
4. Give your key a descriptive name (e.g., "Production", "Development")
5. Copy the key immediately - it won't be shown again

Using Your API Key

You can authenticate requests in two ways:

Option 1: Authorization Header (Recommended)

Include your API key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here

Example:

curl "https://tinyvalidator.com/api/v1/[email protected]" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here"

Option 2: Query Parameter

Pass your API key as the api_key query parameter:

curl "https://tinyvalidator.com/api/v1/[email protected]&api_key=your_api_key_here"

API Key Best Practices

Keep Keys Secret

Never expose API keys in:

• Client-side JavaScript
• Public repositories
• Browser network requests
• Log files

Use Environment Variables

// Good: Load from environment
const apiKey = process.env.TINYVALIDATOR_API_KEY;

// Bad: Hardcoded key
const apiKey = 'sk_abc123...';

Rotate Keys Regularly

• Create new keys periodically
• Delete unused keys
• Rotate immediately if a key is compromised

Use Separate Keys for Environments

Environment	Key Name
Development	dev-local
Staging	staging-ci
Production	production-main

Error Responses

Invalid API Key

{
  "error": "unauthorized",
  "message": "Invalid or missing API key"
}

Rate Limit Exceeded

{
  "error": "rate_limit_exceeded",
  "message": "Too many requests. Please try again later."
}

Next Steps

• Start Verifying Emails
• Learn about Quality Scores