> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.disputeninja.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> Learn how to authenticate your API requests

The DisputeNinja API uses Bearer Token authentication to secure your API requests. This page will guide you through the process of obtaining and using your API key for authentication.

## Obtaining Your API Key

To get started with the API, you'll need to obtain an API key:

1. [Log in to your account](https://app.disputeninja.io/login) (or [sign up](https://app.disputeninja.io/signup) if you don't have one)
2. Navigate to settings -> API keys
3. Click on "Generate New Key"
4. Copy your new API key

## Using Your API Key

To authenticate your API requests, include your API key in the `Authorization` header of each request. The header should be formatted as follows:

```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
```

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with your actual API key.

## Example Request

Here's an example of how to include the authorization header in a cURL request:

```bash theme={null}
curl --request POST \
  --url https://app.disputeninja.io/api/v1/disputes/update-evidence \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "stripe_dispute_id": "dp_1PnDIEGo98l4hPg3tloPgtOA",
    "evidence": {
      "shipping_tracking_numbers": ["1234567890"]
    }
  }'
```

## Rate Limiting

To ensure fair usage and protect our services, we implement rate limiting on API requests. The current limits are:

* 5,000 requests per hour

If you exceed these limits, you'll receive a `429 Too Many Requests` response. The response will include a `Retry-After` header indicating how long you should wait before making another request.

<Note>
  If you need higher rate limits, please [contact
  us](mailto:support@disputeninja.com).
</Note>