Authentication

ByteProxy provides flexible authentication options to secure your API endpoints.

Overview

Authentication in ByteProxy is configurable per-route type:

• Proxy routes (/proxy/*) can use a dedicated API key
• Management routes (/manage/*) can use a separate admin API key

This separation allows you to share proxy access while maintaining control over management functions.

Configuration

Authentication is configured in your .env file:

# API Security Settings
PROXY_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
MANAGEMENT_API_KEY=your_admin_key_here
REQUIRE_AUTH_FOR_PROXY=true
REQUIRE_AUTH_FOR_MANAGEMENT=true

You can disable authentication by setting:

REQUIRE_AUTH_FOR_PROXY=false
REQUIRE_AUTH_FOR_MANAGEMENT=false

Authentication Methods

ByteProxy accepts authentication via three methods:

Bearer Token (Recommended)

Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here

Example:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
  http://localhost:3420/proxy/github/users/octocat

X-API-Key Header

x-api-key: your_api_key_here

Example:

curl -H "x-api-key: your_api_key_here" \
  http://localhost:3420/proxy/github/users/octocat

Query Parameter

?api_key=your_api_key_here

Example:

curl "http://localhost:3420/proxy/github/users/octocat?api_key=your_api_key_here"

Security Considerations

1. Environment Variables: Store API keys securely as environment variables
2. HTTPS: Always use HTTPS in production to prevent key exposure
3. Key Rotation: Rotate API keys periodically
4. Minimal Permissions: Use separate keys with minimal permissions

Troubleshooting

If you’re seeing “Unauthorized” errors:

1. Verify you’re providing the correct API key
2. Check that the key format matches exactly (including any special characters)
3. Ensure your .env file has the proper keys defined
4. Restart the server after changing environment variables
5. Look for “Auth” related errors in the server logs