# Authentication

To make secure calls to the REST API, both authentication and authorization are required. OptiView Live uses token–secret pairs to authorize API requests and ensure secure access.

## Creating an API token

1. Navigate to **API Tokens** in the dashboard.
2. Click **New** to create a new token.
3. Enter a name for the token.
4. Confirm to generate the token.

The key and secret will be displayed once the token is created.

> **Note down your key and secret**
>
> Make sure to store the key and secret securely — they cannot be viewed again after this step.

## Using the token-secret pair with Basic Authentication

OptiView Live uses Basic Authentication for API requests.

1. Combine your key and secret in the format `key:secret`. Example: `my-token:my-secret`

2. Base64 encode the combined value. Example: `bXktdG9rZW46bXktc2VjcmV0`

3. Include the encoded string in the Authorization header, prefixed with the word Basic. Example header: `Authorization: Basic bXktdG9rZW46bXktc2VjcmV0`

## Full example

```bash
curl -X GET https://api.theo.live/v2/channels \
  -H "Authorization: Basic bXktdG9rZW46bXktc2VjcmV0"
```

You're now ready to make authenticated requests to the OptiView Live API.