User guide
The STACKIT API is a programmatic interface for managing STACKIT cloud products and services. You can use it to directly manage cloud resources, such as servers, databases, and storage, through code. This capability allows you to create, modify, and delete resources without manual intervention, which is a key part of modern cloud development.
The API helps you control your cloud environment through code and automates recurring tasks, such as creating new development environments or making backups available. This automation reduces human error and helps you create reproducible, scalable, and complex infrastructure deployments.
STACKIT API Explorer
For a detailed, interactive overview of all available API endpoints and to try out requests, you can consult the official API Explorer.
Getting started
Section titled “Getting started”Before you can interact with the STACKIT API, you must have an active STACKIT account and project. You can create these in the STACKIT Portal, the platform’s central self-service user interface.
All programmatic interactions with the STACKIT API also require a service account. This acts as a non-human user identity for automation and integrations. You can create a service account and its associated service account key by following this tutorial on How to access a service with a service account.
Authentication (connect to the API)
Section titled “Authentication (connect to the API)”The STACKIT API offers two primary authentication methods for programmatic access: the Key flow and the Token flow. The Key flow is the recommended method for all new integrations for enhanced security.
Token flow
Section titled “Token flow”The Token flow is a simpler authentication method that relies on a long-lived service account token. This method is less secure than the Key flow and we don’t recommend it for new projects.
As Token flow will be removed soon, you should migrate all existing integrations to the Key flow before this date. Learn how to migrate from Token flow to Key flow in our Migration guide.
Key flow
Section titled “Key flow”The Key flow is the preferred method for authentication because it provides a more secure way to manage programmatic access. This flow requires a service account key and a private RSA key. You use the private key to sign requests, which ensures the caller’s authenticity without transmitting a long-lived secret.
Learn how to Access services with a service account via the Key flow.