AI engineering glossary · Web APIs HTTP
What is authentication?
Authentication (also called AuthN): The process of proving who a caller is, for example with a password, key or token. It answers 'who are you?' and comes before authorization, which decides what that caller may do.
Authentication: an example
Logging in with a username and OTP authenticates you before the server checks your permissions.
Related terms
More Web APIs HTTP terms
- Authorization
- Authorization code flow
- Basic authentication
- Bearer token
- Cache-Control
- Caching
- Circuit breaker
- Client credentials grant
Where you learn it
Authentication is part of the AI Engineering Program, which teaches it with notes, a hands-on lab and an exam. The first lesson is free.