integration key authentication

It is the simplest credential model in machine data access: register, receive a key, attach it to every request. What varies is what the key costs and what it entitles you to.

Government implementations cluster at the free end. The cataloged India Open Government Data fertilizer-production record notes "API access requires a free registered api-key", and USDA NASS's Agricultural Chemical Use Program requires "registering an email address for an integration key and agreeing to the NASS Terms of Service" - no fee in either case, just identity and consent.

Commercial implementations meter money the same way: FMP's REIT financials describe "an API-key auth scheme" with free-tier keys unlocking limited endpoint coverage, and Nasdaq Data Link serves REIT datasets through REST access via integration key on free/paid tiers.

The key tells you who is accountable for each query - and which tier of service you actually purchased.

• Registration is a terms-acceptance event. Agreeing to NASS Terms of Service or GODL-licensed portal conditions happens at signup; teams that inherit a colleague's key inherit obligations nobody read.

• Tier confusion massembles as data loss. A free FMP key returning empty fields is working as designed - 'limited endpoint coverage' - but reads like corruption unless you map tier to endpoint first.

• Identity enables revocation. Keys found exposed publicly get deactivated under FoodData Central-style policies; leaked credentials end access immediately.

• Keys are not licenses. GODL governs reuse of data.gov.in payloads, and per-publisher subscription agreements govern Nasdaq Data Link - the key only opens the door.

1. Register under a role account, not a person. Email-bound keys outlive employees only if the email does; use a team alias for NASS and data.gov.in signups.
2. Enumerate the free tier precisely. For FMP and Nasdaq Data Link, list which endpoints the free key actually returns before designing around them.
3. Keep secrets out of repositories. Public exposure triggers deactivation, so vault keys and rotate on any suspected leak.

These entries cover the models that surround keyed access: - bulk download endpoints — Bulk download is an access method delivering entire datasets or paginated full-universe extracts rather than per-symbol queries — used by FMP for its symbol universe, and the recorded access route... - freemium tier — Freemium licensing pairs a no-cost tier (basic browsing, limited API calls) with paid plans unlocking premium fields. - godl license — The Government Open Data License - India, under which the data.gov.in OGD platform releases ministry, state and union territory datasets.