Managing API token access to the Zendesk API

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<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">Users can use an API token to authenticate API requests. API tokens are auto-generated passwords that you can use with your email address to authenticate API requests. They can also be used as part of two-factor authentication for integrations. Each API token can be used by any verified user on the account and isn't associated with a specific user. More than one token can be active at the same time</p>
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<p id="docs-ai-summary-content">Manage API access to your Zendesk account by generating, editing, deactivating, reactivating, and deleting API tokens. On Enterprise plans, view the audit log for token activities. </p>
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<div class="note fastpath">
<span class="fastpathtitle">Location: </span> <span class="ph">Admin Center &gt; Apps and integrations &gt; APIs &gt; API
tokens</span>
</div>
<div class="note" id="topic_w4y_cff_nx__note_uzx_kbj_xjc">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Zendesk is removing API tokens as an authentication method. Starting
July 28, 2026, tokens unused for 30 days will be automatically deleted. By April 30, 2027, all
API tokens will stop working. You must <a class="xref" href="https://developer.zendesk.com/documentation/api-basics/authentication/oauth-migration/" target="_blank">migrate your integrations to OAuth access tokens</a>
before the final deadline. This change only affects APIs that currently use API tokens
including the Ticketing, Help Center, and Voice APIs. It does not apply to other Zendesk
products.</div>
<p class="p">Users can use an API token to authenticate API requests. API tokens are auto-generated
passwords that you can use with your email address to authenticate API requests. They can also
be used as part of two-factor authentication for integrations. Each API token can be used by
any verified user on the account and isn't associated with a specific user. More than one
token can be active at the same time</p>
<p class="p">You can have up to 256 tokens. If you're at the limit, you must delete an existing token to
add a new one. Accounts that currently have more than 256 tokens have a limit of 2048
tokens.</p>
<p class="p">API tokens are not the same as OAuth access tokens. See <a class="xref" href="https://developer.zendesk.com/documentation/ticketing/working-with-oauth/creating-and-using-oauth-tokens-with-the-api/?_ga=2.24775603.884313364.1732553118-1588798520.1709745026&amp;_gl=1*v7ubbf*_ga*MTU4ODc5ODUyMC4xNzA5NzQ1MDI2*_ga_0G6FC9CS2V*MTczMjYzNzI1NS4yMDkuMS4xNzMyNjQwNjAzLjYwLjAuMA..#differences-between-api-tokens-and-access-tokens" target="_blank">Differences between API tokens and access tokens</a> on
developer.zendesk.com.</p>
<p class="p">This article includes these sections:</p>
<div class="p">
<ul class="ul" id="topic_w4y_cff_nx__ul_ykj_yj1_2yb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_tbp_dfb_l2c">Generating API tokens</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_l5b_4gb_l2c">Editing an API token</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_wln_t3b_l2c">Deactivating and reactivating an API token</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_t3k_mkb_l2c">Deleting an API token</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_qc2_cmb_l2c">Viewing audit logs for an API token (Enterprise)</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_tbp_dfb_l2c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Generating API tokens</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">To generate an API token, you must be an administrator and API token access must be <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/8662004958746" target="_blank">turned on</a> in your account.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To generate an API token</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_tbp_dfb_l2c__ol_yny_pfb_l2c">
<li class="li">
<span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_tbp_dfb_l2c__d9e2272" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_apps_integrations_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Apps and integrations</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">APIs &gt; API tokens</strong>.</span><p class="p">A list of API tokens appears.</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_tbp_dfb_l2c__image_wff_xfb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_api_token_list2.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Add API token</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">(Optional) Enter a <strong class="ph b">Description</strong> for the token. </li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong> to generate the token.<p class="p">The token is generated and displayed.
</p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_tbp_dfb_l2c__image_zqg_3gb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_api_token_add.png" width="500"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Copy</strong> the token and paste it somewhere secure. <div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> When you click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong> to
close this window, the full token will never be displayed again.</div>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong> again to return to the list of Zendesk API tokens. <p class="p">If you click the
token to reopen it, a truncated version of the token is displayed. </p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_tbp_dfb_l2c__image_gjb_ngb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_api_token_truncated.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_l5b_4gb_l2c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Editing an API token</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">You can edit an API token to update the token description. </p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To edit an API token</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_l5b_4gb_l2c__ol_fkl_yhb_l2c">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_l5b_4gb_l2c__d9e2272" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_apps_integrations_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Apps and integrations</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">APIs &gt; API tokens</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Find the token you want to edit. </li>
<li class="li">Click the options menu icon (<img class="image" id="topic_l5b_4gb_l2c__image_blk_yvc_j2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sell_icon_menu_vertical.png" width="16">) next to the token and select <strong class="ph b">Edit</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">Enter a new <strong class="ph b">Description</strong> for the token, then click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong>. <p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_l5b_4gb_l2c__image_rrc_r3b_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_api_token_edit.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested1" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title4">Deactivating and reactivating an API token</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">In some cases, you may want to temporarily deactivate a token to make sure it hasn’t been
compromised, or you might want to deactivate a token to investigate how it's being used
without actually deleting it. Deactivated tokens can be reactivated.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To deactivate an API token</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c__ol_jcn_z3b_l2c">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c__d9e2272" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_apps_integrations_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Apps and integrations</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">APIs &gt; API tokens</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Find the token you want to deactivate. </li>
<li class="li">Click the options menu icon (<img class="image" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c__image_lvv_fjb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sell_icon_menu_vertical.png" width="16">) next to the token and select <strong class="ph b">Deactivate</strong>.
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c__image_tc2_zrp_nfc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_api_token_deactivate2.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">In the confirmation dialog, select <strong class="ph b">Deactivate</strong>.<p class="p">The token status changes
immediately. As soon as you deactivate a token, API calls using that token begin
failing.</p>
</li>
</ol>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To reactivate an API token</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c__ol_kch_qjb_l2c">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c__d9e2272" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_apps_integrations_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Apps and integrations</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">APIs &gt; API tokens</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Find the token you want to reactivate. </li>
<li class="li">Click the options menu icon (<img class="image" id="topic_wln_t3b_l2c__image_q3r_sjb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sell_icon_menu_vertical.png" width="16">) next to the token and select <strong class="ph b">Reactivate</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">In the confirmation dialog, click <strong class="ph b">Reactivate</strong>.<p class="p">The token status changes from
<strong class="ph b">Deactivated</strong> to <strong class="ph b">Active</strong>. Reactivating a token restores its ability to
authenticate API requests. </p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested1" id="topic_t3k_mkb_l2c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title5">Deleting an API token</h2>
<div class="body">
<div class="p">An API token is like a password: any verified user on the account or anyone with their
email address can use it to authenticate API requests. If you become aware that an API token
has been compromised, delete it immediately. Deleting a token is permanent. It can’t be
undone. <div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> You must <a class="xref" href="#topic_wln_t3b_l2c">deactivate</a> a
token first before you can delete it. </div>
</div>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To delete an API token</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_t3k_mkb_l2c__ol_b5k_1lb_l2c">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_t3k_mkb_l2c__d9e2272" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_apps_integrations_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Apps and integrations</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">APIs &gt; API tokens</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Find the token you want to delete and make sure the status is <strong class="ph b">Deactivated</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Click the options menu icon (<img class="image" id="topic_t3k_mkb_l2c__image_epp_klb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sell_icon_menu_vertical.png" width="16">) next to the token and select <strong class="ph b">Delete</strong>.
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_t3k_mkb_l2c__image_e23_qlb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_api_token_delete2.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">In the confirmation dialog, click <strong class="ph b">Delete</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested1" id="topic_qc2_cmb_l2c">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title6">Viewing audit logs for an API token (Enterprise) </h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">On Enterprise plans, the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408828001434" target="_blank">audit log</a> records activity associated with an API token, including
when it was created, deactivated, or reactivated.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To view audit logs</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_qc2_cmb_l2c__ol_opv_rmb_l2c">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_qc2_cmb_l2c__d9e2272" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_apps_integrations_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Apps and integrations</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">APIs &gt; API tokens</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Find the token in the list.</li>
<li class="li">Click the options menu icon (<img class="image" id="topic_qc2_cmb_l2c__image_kjc_vmb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/sell_icon_menu_vertical.png" width="16">) next to the token and select <strong class="ph b">View audit
log</strong>. <p class="p">The audit log opens with a filter applied for the API token you selected.
The audit log shows the activities associated with the token. </p>
<p class="p"><img class="image img-screenshot" id="topic_qc2_cmb_l2c__image_pcs_ymb_l2c" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_api_token_audit_log.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
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