Help Center/ IAM Identity Center/ API Reference/ Calling APIs/ Authentication
Updated on 2025-05-15 GMT+08:00
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Authentication

AK/SK authentication is used for calling APIs. Specifically, requests are encrypted using the access key (AK) or secret access key (SK) to provide higher security.

AK/SK Authentication

AK/SK-based authentication supports API requests with a body not greater than 12 MB.

In AK/SK authentication, AK/SK is used to sign a request and the signature is then added to the request for authentication.

  • AK: access key ID, which is a unique identifier used in conjunction with a secret access key to sign requests cryptographically.
  • SK: secret access key used in conjunction with an AK to sign requests cryptographically. It identifies a request sender and prevents the request from being modified.
In AK/SK authentication, you can use an AK/SK to sign requests based on the signature algorithm or use the signing SDK to sign requests. For details about how to sign requests and use the signing SDK, see AK/SK Signing and Authentication Guide.

The signing SDK is only used for signing requests and is different from the SDKs provided by services.

Parent topic: Calling APIs