ArcGIS supports secure access to location services and private data. It ensures that only valid, authorized users and services access protected information. In order to access secure ArcGIS resources, you need an access token. To get an access token, you need to choose a type of authentication and implement an authentication workflow in your app. The type of authentication you use will depend on the security and access requirements of your app.
There are three types of authentication that you can use to get an access token:
- API key authentication: grants a long-lived access token to authenticate requests to ArcGIS location services and, with an ArcGIS Location Platform account, private content. It is the recommended type of authentication for developers new to ArcGIS or to development in general. Go to the Create an API key tutorial to obtain a new API Key access token.
- User authentication: a collection of authentication workflows that connect your app to a user's ArcGIS account.
- OAuth 2.0: manage ArcGIS authentication and grant a short-lived access token generated via OAuth 2.0. This gives your application permission to access ArcGIS secured services authorized to an existing ArcGIS user's account.
- Generate token: manages ArcGIS authentication and grants a short-lived access token generated via Esri's proprietary token-based authentication mechanism. This gives your application permission to access ArcGIS secured services authorized to an existing ArcGIS user's account.
- Network credential: manage network authentication (also known as web-tier authentication) for ArcGIS Enterprise. This gives your application permission to access network secured services authorized to your web-tier's identity store user accounts. Supports Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and Integrated Windows Authentication (IWA).
- App authentication: uses the registered application's credentials to access location services on ArcGIS. It manages ArcGIS authentication and grants a short-lived access token generated via OAuth 2.0 using the Application item's Client ID and Client Secret outside of the context of a user.
For more information, see the Security and authentication guide.
Choose a type of authentication
The following considerations can help determine which type of authentication to implement:
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Access to resources—Your app can access location services using API key authentication, User authentication, or App authentication. To access private data hosted in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise, or content that requires an ArcGIS Online subscription, your app needs an authenticated user to sign in with their account.
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User experience—If you don't want to make users log in, your app can access location services using API key authentication or App authentication. In this case, users will not need to have an ArcGIS account in order to use your app.
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Usage charges—If you want service usage to be charged to the user's account, your app must request that the user log in. When using API key authentication or App authentication, all access to services from your app will be charged to your ArcGIS account.
You might also need to consider the level of security required for your app, how your app will be distributed, and your available ArcGIS products and accounts.
| Scenario | Solution |
|---|---|
| Your app requires access to location services only, you don't want to make users log in, and you are willing to pay for all charges incurred from usage of the app. | API key authentication or App authentication |
| Your app requires access to location services only and you want usage charged to the user. | User authentication |
| Your app needs to access content that requires an ArcGIS Online subscription. | User authentication |
| Your app needs to access private hosted data on your ArcGIS Location Platform account. | API key authentication or App authentication |
| Your app allows users to view and edit private data hosted in ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise. | User authentication |
| You plan to distribute your app through ArcGIS Marketplace. | User authentication |
API key authentication
An API Key can grant your public-facing application access to specific ArcGIS location services, and, with an ArcGIS Location Platform account, private content, items, and limited client referrers.
Use API key authentication when you want to:
- Quickly write applications that consume location services.
- Provide access to services without requiring users to sign in with an ArcGIS account.
User authentication
User authentication is a set of authentication workflows that allow users with an ArcGIS account to sign into an application and access ArcGIS content, services, and resources. The typical authentication protocol used is OAuth2.0. When a user signs into an application with their ArcGIS account, an access token is generated that authorizes the application to access services and content on their behalf. The resources and functionality available depend on the user type, roles, and privileges of the user's ArcGIS account.
Services that your app accesses with user authentication will be billed to the authenticated user's ArcGIS account and its associated ArcGIS subscription. If your application will access your users' secure content in ArcGIS or if you plan to distribute your application through ArcGIS Marketplace, you must use user authentication.
Implement user authentication when you want to:
- Ensure users are signed in and authenticated with their own ArcGIS account.
- Use your app user's credits to pay for their private data, content, or service transactions.
- Limit the length of time users can be signed in to your app with a temporary token.
- Distribute your app through ArcGIS Marketplace.
App authentication
App authentication grants a short-lived access token, generated via OAuth 2.0, authorizing your application to access location services, such as basemap layers, search, and routing.
Use app authentication when you want to:
- Access location services with a more secure process and a short-lived token.
- Provide access to services without requiring users to have an ArcGIS account.
Next steps
To learn more about how to implement authentication in your ArcGIS Maps SDK for .NET apps, see the Implement authentication topic. Explore the tutorials and samples below for some examples of how to use authentication in your apps.
