---
title: Using API
eleventyNavigation:
  key: Using API
  parent: API
  order: 1
---

## Identification

```sh
$ curl --basic --user APIKEY: https://api.alwaysdata.com/v1/account/
```

Your tokens are available in the **[Profile](/en/docs/admin-billing/profile/tokens)** section.

> [!WARNING]
> To use your tokens, don't forget the colon (`:`) after the key, meaning that the password is not needed.


> [!NOTE]
> A rate limit is applied on API requests. See [here](#rate-limit) for more details.


### Linked resources

If you access resources linked to a user or a specific account, then you will need to specify this with your authentication while using one of the following parameters:

- **account**: this is the account you wish to access. If for example you have a number of accounts but you wish to access a resource in a specific account.
- **customer**: if you have certain permissions on another user, then you need to specify their e-mail address.

For example, accessing the FTP users in this way:

```sh
$ curl --basic --user "APIKEY account=[account]:" https://api.alwaysdata.com/v1/ftp/
```

## Format

The following formats are handled:

- [JSON](https://www.json.org/) (by default)
- [XML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML)
- [HTML](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HTML) (for the answer only)

It may be specified in the URL:

```sh
$ curl --basic --user APIKEY: https://api.alwaysdata.com/v1/account/?_format=xml
```

Or via the HTTP header:

```sh
$ curl --basic --user APIKEY: --header 'Accept: application/xml' https://api.alwaysdata.com/v1/account/
```

## HTTP headers

|HTTP header|Description|Default value|
|--- |--- |--- |
|alwaysdata-synchronous|Request execution in synchronous mode|no|

## Rate-limit

A limit of actions per minute (i.e. rate limit) is set:

- 10 *rpm*
- 50 *rpm* for sticky connections
- 250 *rpm* for *safe* methods like `GET`