> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://www.zinc.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> How to authenticate with the Zinc API

<Note>
  **You're viewing v1 documentation.** This is our legacy API version. We recommend checking out [v2 documentation](/quickstart) for our newest features and improvements. Note that v2 is currently a work in progress.
</Note>

To use the Zinc API, you must authenticate every request with your client token.

<Info>
  You can find your client token in your <a href="https://dash.zinc.io" target="_blank">Zinc dashboard</a> after creating an account.
</Info>

## Example Authentication Request

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.zinc.io/v1/orders \
  -u <client_token>:
```

Authentication is performed using **HTTP Basic Auth**.

* Your **client token** is used as the username.
* The password field should be left blank.

<Alert type="warning">
  Never share your client token or expose it in public repositories, client-side code, or other insecure locations. Your client token is tied to your account, and you are responsible for all requests made with it.
</Alert>

If you believe your client token has been compromised, please contact [support@zinc.com](mailto:support@zinc.com) immediately.