---
title: Search API authentication methods
slug: '102'
canonical_url: https://docs.coveo.com/en/102/
collection: build-a-search-ui
source_format: adoc
---
# Search API authentication methods
The Coveo Search API supports the following [authentication](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2120/) methods:

* [API key authentication](https://docs.coveo.com/en/105/) is the most basic way to [authenticate](https://docs.coveo.com/en/2120/) callers.

* [Search token authentication](https://docs.coveo.com/en/56/) implies creating special, expiring tokens which can temporarily grant [user](https://docs.coveo.com/en/250/)-specific [privileges](https://docs.coveo.com/en/228/).

* [Claims authentication](https://docs.coveo.com/en/113/) lets [users](https://docs.coveo.com/en/250/) access content [indexed](https://docs.coveo.com/en/204/) from a SharePoint server.

* [SAML authentication](https://docs.coveo.com/en/91/) is a standard XML-based protocol which is used by many single sign-on (SSO) systems.