> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ixoworld-mintlify-9a7944b6.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> Authentication patterns used across IXO Protocol and IXO service APIs.

Use this page to understand auth surface area by API family. For canonical literals (headers, token sources, environment-specific behavior), use the authentication matrix.

## Scope

* This page summarizes auth methods by API surface.
* It does not define a single universal flow for all IXO APIs.
* Protocol docs and service docs can require different credentials.

## Common request patterns

Common header formats used across IXO docs are centralized in `/reference/authentication-matrix`.

<Warning>
  Do not assume any one header or token type applies to every endpoint. Confirm each interface against `/reference/authentication-matrix`.
</Warning>

## API families and auth responsibility

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Protocol gateways">
    * **Surfaces:** `/api-reference/rpc-api`, `/api-reference/grpc-gateway-api`
    * **Auth notes:** Chain and node access patterns vary by network and deployment.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Service APIs">
    * **Surfaces:** `/api-reference/blocksync-graphql-api`, `/api-reference/matrix-state-bot-api`, `/api-reference/registry-api`
    * **Auth notes:** Service operators can enforce different credentials and scopes.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Security baseline

* Use HTTPS for all authenticated requests.
* Keep credentials in secure runtime storage, not source files.
* Rotate tokens and keys according to your operator policy.
* Log request identifiers and auth failures for incident triage.

## Source-of-truth references

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Authentication matrix" href="/reference/authentication-matrix">
    Use canonical auth literals and requirements by interface.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Networks and endpoints" href="/reference/networks-and-endpoints">
    Confirm network-specific endpoint mappings before integration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Product and SDK map" href="/reference/product-and-sdk-map">
    Navigate IXO products, APIs, and SDK references.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>