🔍 Overview
Search Atlas provides API access so you can connect your own tools, scripts, and workflows directly to your account data. To get started, you need to generate an API key from your account settings and use it to authenticate your requests.
🗝️ Step 1: Generate Your API Key
- Click your avatar in the top-right corner of the platform.
- Select Team Members from the dropdown menu.
- In the settings page, navigate to the API Keys tab.
- Click Generate New API Key.
- Copy your key immediately and store it securely — it will not be shown again in full after you leave the page.
⚠️ Keep Your API Key Secure
Your API key grants programmatic access to your Search Atlas account. Follow these best practices to protect it:
- Never share your key in public repositories, forums, or support tickets.
- Store it in environment variables or a secrets manager — not hardcoded in your source code.
- If you suspect your key has been compromised, return to the API Keys tab and regenerate it immediately.
🔗 Step 2: Authenticate Your API Requests
Once you have your API key, include it as a header in every request you send to the Search Atlas API. Use the following format:
- Header name:
X-API-KEY - Header value:
YOUR_API_KEY(the key itself, with no "Bearer" prefix)
Replace YOUR_API_KEY with the key you copied from the API Keys tab. All requests must be made over HTTPS.
📋 Step 3: Review Available Endpoints
The Search Atlas API exposes endpoints for retrieving data across various platform features. To explore what is available:
- Refer to the official Search Atlas API documentation linked inside the platform for a full list of supported endpoints, request parameters, and response formats.
- Use the endpoint reference to identify the specific data you want to pull — such as keyword metrics, backlink data, or content reports.
- Test your requests using a tool like Postman or cURL before integrating them into your production code.
👥 Managing API Keys for Your Team
If you manage multiple team members, each user can generate their own API key from the API Keys tab in their account settings. This allows you to:
- Assign individual keys per team member or integration for easier auditing.
- Revoke access for a specific user without affecting the rest of your team.
- Track which integrations are active by reviewing the keys listed in your account.
🛠️ Common Issues and Fixes
- 401 Unauthorized error: Double-check that your API key is correct and that it is sent in the X-API-KEY header, not as a Bearer token.
- 403 Forbidden error: Most often the API key was missing, invalid, or revoked. Check that the key is sent in the X-API-KEY header (not as a Bearer token), that you copied the full key, and that it has not been regenerated or revoked in Settings → API Keys. If the response is a Cloudflare error page (for example Error 1010), the request was blocked by our security layer before reaching Search Atlas — contact support with the Cloudflare Ray ID, the time of the request, and the endpoint you called. Your plan does not cause this error.
- Key not working after regeneration: The old key is invalidated immediately when you regenerate. Make sure you have updated the key in all integrations and environment variables.
- No API Keys tab visible: Only account admins can generate API keys by default. Ask your account admin to grant you the appropriate permissions or generate a key on your behalf.
💡 Tips for a Smooth Integration
- Respect rate limits to avoid having your requests throttled. The API documentation specifies the allowed number of requests per minute for your plan.
- Handle API errors gracefully in your code by checking the HTTP status codes returned with each response.
- Use descriptive labels when generating keys (if supported) so you can identify which integration each key belongs to.
🙋 Need More Help?
If you need further assistance, open the chat widget in the bottom-right corner of the platform and type human teammate to be connected with a member of our team.