Authentication

The public API works with or without a key. A key is optional, but it raises your rate limit and lets us attribute usage so we can support you.

Keyless access

You can call any endpoint without a key. Keyless requests are limited per IP (see rate limits). This is ideal for trying the API and for low-volume use.

Using a key

Send your key in the x-api-key header:

curl -H "x-api-key: <YOUR_API_KEY>" \
  https://api.ardent.africa/public/v1/stats

const res = await fetch('https://api.ardent.africa/public/v1/stats', {
  headers: { 'x-api-key': '<YOUR_API_KEY>' },
})
const stats = await res.json()

Keys look like ardent_pk_.... Treat a key as a secret: do not commit it to public repositories. Note that if you call the API directly from a browser, the key is visible to users; for public sites, prefer the widgets, which keep the key on our servers.

Getting a key

Keys are self-serve. Sign in to Ardent Africa and open Dashboard → Developer API (https://ardent.africa/dashboard/developer). Accept the API terms, name your key, and create it. The full secret (ardent_pk_…) is shown once, so copy it then. You can hold up to five active keys at a time.

Rotating a key

From the same page you can rotate a key: the current secret is revoked and a fresh one is issued in one step (handy if a key leaks). The old secret stops working immediately.

Revoking a key

Revoke a key any time from Dashboard → Developer API. A revoked key stops working immediately and returns a 401 error. The page also shows each key's request count for the last 30 days.

Last updated: 3 August 2026