Authentication

Email API Authentication

The Email API uses parameter-based authentication, requiring all requests to include your credentials as request parameters.

Required Parameters

Every Email API request must include the following parameters:

⚠️

Important: These parameters must be included directly in the request parameters, not passed through HTTPS basic authentication or request headers.

Request Examples

GET request example:

curl "https://api.aurorasendcloud.com/email/send?apiUser=mycompany_api&apiKey=abc123def456&[email protected]&[email protected]&subject=Hello"

POST request example:

curl -X POST "https://api.aurorasendcloud.com/email/send" \
  -d "apiUser=mycompany_api" \
  -d "apiKey=abc123def456" \
  -d "[email protected]" \
  -d "[email protected]" \
  -d "subject=Hello World"

Managing Email API Credentials

Where to find your credentials:

1. Log into your Aurora SendCloud account dashboard
2. Navigate to Email API from the main menu
3. Select the API_USER Management section

Available actions:

• ✅ Create new API_USER (following platform naming conventions)
• 🔑 Generate associated API_KEY for users
• 🔄 Reset existing API_KEY

Email API_KEY Reset Process

When resetting API_KEY for the Email API, Aurora SendCloud provides a secure 15-minute grace period:

• ⏰ 15-minute grace period: After reset, the old key remains valid for 15 minutes
• 🔄 Smooth transition: Provides ample time to update integration configurations
• ⚡ Automatic expiration: The old key automatically expires after the grace period

Best practices for key reset:

1. Reset the key in your dashboard
2. Update your application configuration with the new key
3. Ensure the update is completed within 15 minutes
4. Monitor your application for successful authentication

SMS API Authentication

The SMS API also uses parameter-based authentication but with different parameter names and management processes.

Required Parameters

Every SMS API request must include the following parameters:

⚠️

Important: Similar to the Email API, these parameters need to be included directly in the request parameters.

Request Examples

GET request example:

curl "https://api.aurorasendcloud.com/smsapi/send?smsUser=mycompany_sms&smsKey=xyz789uvw123&to=+1234567890&message=Hello"

POST request example:

curl -X POST "https://api.aurorasendcloud.com/smsapi/send" \
  -d "smsUser=mycompany_sms" \
  -d "smsKey=xyz789uvw123" \
  -d "to=+1234567890" \
  -d "message=Hello World"

Managing SMS API Credentials

Where to find your credentials:

1. Log into your Aurora SendCloud account dashboard
2. Navigate to Integrations from the main menu
3. Select SMS Manage in the integrations section
4. Access the Send Settings page

Available actions:

• ➕ Add new SMS_USER
• 🔑 Generate associated SMS_KEY for users
• 🔄 Reset existing SMS_KEY

SMS_KEY Reset Process

When resetting SMS_KEY, the process is immediate:

• ⚡ Immediate effect: New SMS_KEY takes effect immediately after reset
• ❌ Old key invalidated: The old key is immediately invalidated with no grace period
• 🚨 Immediate update required: Integration configuration must be updated immediately to avoid service interruption

Reset process recommendations:

1. Prepare your application for key update
2. Reset the key in your dashboard
3. Immediately update your application configuration
4. Verify your application can authenticate successfully

Security Best Practices

Credential Security

• Environment variable storage: Store API keys in environment variables
• Regular rotation: Periodically change API keys
• Least privilege: Create different API users for different purposes
• Usage monitoring: Regularly check API usage logs

Recommended environment variable setup:

export EMAIL_API_USER="your_email_user"
export EMAIL_API_KEY="your_email_key"
export SMS_API_USER="your_sms_user"
export SMS_API_KEY="your_sms_key"

Integration Best Practices

• Error handling: Implement proper authentication error handling
• Retry mechanisms: Add retry logic for authentication failures
• Logging: Log authentication-related events (without logging keys)
• Testing environment: Use separate credentials for testing

Example error handling:

if (response.status === 401) {
  console.error('Authentication failed, please check API credentials');
  // Implement retry or alerting logic
}

Troubleshooting Authentication Issues

Authentication Failed (401 Unauthorized)

• Verify parameter names are correct (apiUser/apiKey vs smsUser/smsKey)
• Confirm credentials haven't expired or been reset
• Check parameter values don't have extra spaces or special characters
• Ensure you're using the correct Aurora SendCloud API endpoint

Unable to Access After Key Reset

• Email API: Check if you're within the 15-minute grace period
• SMS API: Confirm immediate update to new key was successful

Parameter Passing Issues

• Ensure parameters are in request body or query string, not request headers
• Verify URL encoding is correct for special characters
• Check POST request Content-Type is set to application/x-www-form-urlencoded
• Email API: Don't forget the required from parameter

Network and Connectivity Issues

• Verify API endpoint URLs are correct
• Check firewall settings allow outbound HTTPS requests
• Test with different network connections if possible