Grant an API key Added in 7.9.0

POST /_security/api_key/grant
Api key auth Basic auth Bearer auth

Create an API key on behalf of another user. This API is similar to the create API keys API, however it creates the API key for a user that is different than the user that runs the API. The caller must have authentication credentials for the user on whose behalf the API key will be created. It is not possible to use this API to create an API key without that user's credentials. The supported user authentication credential types are:

  • username and password
  • Elasticsearch access tokens
  • JWTs

The user, for whom the authentication credentials is provided, can optionally "run as" (impersonate) another user. In this case, the API key will be created on behalf of the impersonated user.

This API is intended be used by applications that need to create and manage API keys for end users, but cannot guarantee that those users have permission to create API keys on their own behalf. The API keys are created by the Elasticsearch API key service, which is automatically enabled.

A successful grant API key API call returns a JSON structure that contains the API key, its unique id, and its name. If applicable, it also returns expiration information for the API key in milliseconds.

By default, API keys never expire. You can specify expiration information when you create the API keys.

application/json

Body Required

  • api_key object Required
    Hide api_key attributes Show api_key attributes object
    • name string Required
    • expiration string

      A date histogram interval. Similar to Duration with additional units: w (week), M (month), q (quarter) and y (year)

    • role_descriptors object | array[object]

      The role descriptors for this API key. When it is not specified or is an empty array, the API key has a point in time snapshot of permissions of the specified user or access token. If you supply role descriptors, the resultant permissions are an intersection of API keys permissions and the permissions of the user or access token.

      One of:
      object-1 object array-2 array[object]
      Hide attribute Show attribute
      • * object Additional properties
        Hide * attributes Show * attributes object
        • cluster array[string]

          A list of cluster privileges. These privileges define the cluster level actions that API keys are able to execute.

        • indices array[object]

          A list of indices permissions entries.

          Hide indices attributes Show indices attributes object
          • field_security object
          • names
          • privileges array[string] Required

            The index level privileges that owners of the role have on the specified indices.

          • query
          • allow_restricted_indices boolean

            Set to true if using wildcard or regular expressions for patterns that cover restricted indices. Implicitly, restricted indices have limited privileges that can cause pattern tests to fail. If restricted indices are explicitly included in the names list, Elasticsearch checks privileges against these indices regardless of the value set for allow_restricted_indices.

        • remote_indices array[object]

          A list of indices permissions for remote clusters.

          Hide remote_indices attributes Show remote_indices attributes object
          • clusters string | array[string] Required
          • field_security object
          • names
          • privileges array[string] Required

            The index level privileges that owners of the role have on the specified indices.

          • query
          • allow_restricted_indices boolean

            Set to true if using wildcard or regular expressions for patterns that cover restricted indices. Implicitly, restricted indices have limited privileges that can cause pattern tests to fail. If restricted indices are explicitly included in the names list, Elasticsearch checks privileges against these indices regardless of the value set for allow_restricted_indices.

        • remote_cluster array[object]

          A list of cluster permissions for remote clusters. NOTE: This is limited a subset of the cluster permissions.

          Hide remote_cluster attributes Show remote_cluster attributes object
          • clusters string | array[string] Required
          • privileges array[string] Required

            The cluster level privileges that owners of the role have on the remote cluster.

            Values are monitor_enrich or monitor_stats.

        • global array[object] | object

          An object defining global privileges. A global privilege is a form of cluster privilege that is request-aware. Support for global privileges is currently limited to the management of application privileges.

          One of:
          array-1 array[object] GlobalPrivilege object
        • applications array[object]

          A list of application privilege entries

          Hide applications attributes Show applications attributes object
          • application string Required

            The name of the application to which this entry applies.

          • privileges array[string] Required

            A list of strings, where each element is the name of an application privilege or action.

          • resources array[string] Required

            A list resources to which the privileges are applied.

        • metadata object
          Hide metadata attribute Show metadata attribute object
          • * object Additional properties
        • run_as array[string]

          A list of users that the API keys can impersonate. NOTE: In Elastic Cloud Serverless, the run-as feature is disabled. For API compatibility, you can still specify an empty run_as field, but a non-empty list will be rejected.

        • description string

          Optional description of the role descriptor

        • restriction object
          Hide restriction attribute Show restriction attribute object
          • workflows array[string] Required

            A list of workflows to which the API key is restricted. NOTE: In order to use a role restriction, an API key must be created with a single role descriptor.

        • transient_metadata object
          Hide transient_metadata attribute Show transient_metadata attribute object
          • * object Additional properties
    • metadata object
      Hide metadata attribute Show metadata attribute object
      • * object Additional properties
  • grant_type string Required

    Values are access_token or password.

  • access_token string

    The user's access token. If you specify the access_token grant type, this parameter is required. It is not valid with other grant types.

  • username string
  • password string
  • run_as string

Responses

POST /_security/api_key/grant 
curl \
 --request POST 'http://api.example.com/_security/api_key/grant' \
 --header "Authorization: $API_KEY" \
 --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
 --data '"{\n  \"grant_type\": \"password\",\n  \"username\" : \"test_admin\",\n  \"password\" : \"x-pack-test-password\",\n  \"api_key\" : {\n    \"name\": \"my-api-key\",\n    \"expiration\": \"1d\",\n    \"role_descriptors\": {\n      \"role-a\": {\n        \"cluster\": [\"all\"],\n        \"indices\": [\n          {\n          \"names\": [\"index-a*\"],\n          \"privileges\": [\"read\"]\n          }\n        ]\n      },\n      \"role-b\": {\n        \"cluster\": [\"all\"],\n        \"indices\": [\n          {\n          \"names\": [\"index-b*\"],\n          \"privileges\": [\"all\"]\n          }\n        ]\n      }\n    },\n    \"metadata\": {\n      \"application\": \"my-application\",\n      \"environment\": {\n        \"level\": 1,\n        \"trusted\": true,\n        \"tags\": [\"dev\", \"staging\"]\n      }\n    }\n  }\n}"'
Request examples
Run `POST /_security/api_key/grant` to create an API key on behalf of the `test_admin` user. 
{
  "grant_type": "password",
  "username" : "test_admin",
  "password" : "x-pack-test-password",
  "api_key" : {
    "name": "my-api-key",
    "expiration": "1d",
    "role_descriptors": {
      "role-a": {
        "cluster": ["all"],
        "indices": [
          {
          "names": ["index-a*"],
          "privileges": ["read"]
          }
        ]
      },
      "role-b": {
        "cluster": ["all"],
        "indices": [
          {
          "names": ["index-b*"],
          "privileges": ["all"]
          }
        ]
      }
    },
    "metadata": {
      "application": "my-application",
      "environment": {
        "level": 1,
        "trusted": true,
        "tags": ["dev", "staging"]
      }
    }
  }
}
Run `POST /_security/api_key/grant`. The user (`test_admin`) whose credentials are provided can "run as" another user (`test_user`). The API key will be granted to the impersonated user (`test_user`). 
{
  "grant_type": "password",
  "username" : "test_admin",  
  "password" : "x-pack-test-password",  
  "run_as": "test_user",  
  "api_key" : {
    "name": "another-api-key"
  }
}