Resources / Configuring API Authentication
Tutorial 6 min read

Configuring API Authentication

Set up API tokens for secure access to the Stride API from your applications.

Developer API Security
1

Generate an API Token

A board token works on one board. On an AI Optimized board, click the Tokens tab; only the owner and members with edit access see it. The API tokens window opens over the board.

Under Create new token, fill in:

  • Token name: a name you'll recognise later, such as the machine the agent runs on
  • Agent model (optional) and Purpose (optional)
  • Agent capabilities: a comma-separated list of the skills this agent has. Leave it empty to let the agent take every task

See the Agent Capabilities Reference for the capabilities and how tasks use them.

Step 1: Generate an API Token
2

Complete Token Generation

Click Generate token. The Token created panel shows the token once: click Copy and go straight to the next step. Stride keeps only a fingerprint of the token, so it can't show it to you again.

The new token appears under Active tokens, marked Never used until the agent first calls Stride with it.

Step 2: Complete Token Generation
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Create .stride_auth.md

Create .stride_auth.md in your project root and add it to .gitignore. An agent that calls the onboarding endpoint gets a template. Fill in the API URL, API Token (paste the token here), User Email and Token Name lines.

The agent sends the token in an Authorization: Bearer header on every request.

Step 3: Create .stride_auth.md
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Using the Token

The agent reads .stride_auth.md and sends the token every time it calls Stride. There's nothing more you need to do.

A board token only works on its own board. A request with a revoked or expired token, or a token whose owner's account is disabled, gets HTTP 401.

5

Workspace Tokens

An organization admin can make one token for several boards. Open Workspace settings from the workspace switcher, choose Tokens, and use Create a workspace token: fill in Token name and Agent capabilities (comma-separated, optional), then click Create token. Your new workspace token is shown once, with Copy.

A workspace token reaches every AI Optimized board in the workspace that the admin can edit. Each request names its board with the X-Stride-Board header, and GET /api/boards lists the boards it can use. The token stops working when it's revoked, when it expires, or when the admin leaves the workspace.

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Security Best Practices

  • Never commit .stride_auth.md or paste a token into a task, a comment or a chat
  • Give each agent and each machine its own clearly named token
  • Use environment variables in CI/CD
  • Tokens expire 90 days after they are created: make a new one, update .stride_auth.md, then Revoke the old one

Revoking takes effect at once. Delete removes a revoked token from the list.

You're all set!

You've completed all the steps in this guide.

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