# Getting Started

Welcome to PropelAuth's Backend API documentation! PropelAuth’s backend APIs allow you to manage users, organizations, and API keys programmatically.

Get started by heading over to [www.propelauth.com](/content/site-root.html) to create an account if you haven't already.

## [Authentication](https://docs.propelauth.com/reference/api/getting-started?ref=propelauth.mymidnight.blog#authentication)

The backend API requires an Authorization header with your API key set as a bearer token.

```javascript
{
  "Authorization": "Bearer {YOUR_API_KEY}"
}
```

You can find your API key by logging into the PropelAuth dashboard and navigating to the **Backend Integration** page. Select the environment you want to create the API key for (test, staging, prod) and click on **Create New API Key**.

You'll then be presented with four options:

- **Full Access**: Can use any of our backend APIs
- **Read and Validate**: Can read org, user, and API key data as well as validate frontend requests and [end user API Keys](https://docs.propelauth.com/api-key-authentication).
- **Validation Only**: Can validate frontend requests and [end user API Keys](https://docs.propelauth.com/api-key-authentication).
- **Custom**: Pick which permissions the API key has access to. The reference documentation for each API endpoint lists the required permissions. Some APIs, such as [Update Org](https://docs.propelauth.com/reference/api/org#update-org), have optional permissions that are only required if updating specific fields.

Each of your environments is completely separate, meaning you'll need a different API key for each one.

## [Base URL](https://docs.propelauth.com/reference/api/getting-started?ref=propelauth.mymidnight.blog#base-url)

The base URL for the backend API is your environment's Auth URL. Head over to the **Frontend Integration** page in your PropelAuth dashboard to find yours.

Like API keys, each environment has its own Auth URL. Your test environment URL is automatically generated by PropelAuth (e.g., " [https://1581439057.propelauthtest.com](https://1581439057.propelauthtest.com/) ").

For staging and production environments, you define your own Auth URL. For example, if your app's domain is " [https://acme.com](https://acme.com/) ", your Auth URL might be " [https://auth.acme.com](https://auth.acme.com/) ".

## [User API Keys](https://docs.propelauth.com/reference/api/getting-started?ref=propelauth.mymidnight.blog#user-api-keys)

PropelAuth offers the ability for [your users to create their own API keys](https://docs.propelauth.com/api-key-authentication). These API keys cannot be used in the Authentication header for this API. However, you can use the **API KEY APIs** to create, edit, delete, and validate these API keys for your own API.

## [Download the Postman Collection](https://docs.propelauth.com/reference/api/getting-started?ref=propelauth.mymidnight.blog#download-the-postman-collection)

View and test the PropelAuth backend API with our Postman Collection.

1. Download our [Postman Collection](https://docs.propelauth.com/files/PropelAuth.postman_collection.json).
2. Import the collection to your own Postman workspace.
3. Click on the **Variables** tab, paste in your API credentials, and click **Save**.