API key management in Elasticsearch

Introduction

API key management helps you control who can access your Elasticsearch data safely. It lets you create, use, and delete keys that act like secret passwords for apps.

When you want to let an app read or write data without sharing your main password.

When you need to give limited access to a service for a short time.

When you want to track which app or user is using your Elasticsearch.

When you want to easily revoke access without changing your main credentials.

Syntax

Elasticsearch

POST /_security/api_key
{
  "name": "my-api-key",
  "role_descriptors": {
    "my-role": {
      "cluster": ["all"],
      "index": [
        {
          "names": ["my-index"],
          "privileges": ["read"]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

The name is a friendly label for your API key.

role_descriptors define what the key can do, like read or write on certain indexes.

Examples

This creates an API key that can only read indexes starting with 'logs-'.

Elasticsearch

POST /_security/api_key
{
  "name": "read-only-key",
  "role_descriptors": {
    "read_role": {
      "cluster": ["monitor"],
      "index": [
        {
          "names": ["logs-*"],
          "privileges": ["read"]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

This invalidates an API key by its ID to stop its access immediately.

Elasticsearch

DELETE /_security/api_key
{
  "ids": ["api_key_id_here"]
}

This retrieves details about an API key by its name.

Elasticsearch

GET /_security/api_key?name=my-api-key

Sample Program

This request creates an API key named 'example-key' that can monitor the cluster and read/write to 'example-index'.

Elasticsearch

POST /_security/api_key
{
  "name": "example-key",
  "role_descriptors": {
    "example-role": {
      "cluster": ["monitor"],
      "index": [
        {
          "names": ["example-index"],
          "privileges": ["read", "write"]
        }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Important Notes

Always keep your API keys secret like passwords.

You can create keys with very specific permissions to keep your data safe.

Deleting an API key immediately stops its access.

Summary

API key management lets you create and control secret keys for apps to access Elasticsearch.

You define what each key can do using roles and privileges.

Keys can be created, viewed, and deleted using Elasticsearch security API calls.