WordPress API Key: Where to Get it and How to Create One

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Get your WordPress API key for plugins and applications

Co-authored by Martin Aranovitch and Travis Boylls

Last Updated: August 26, 2024 Fact Checked

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Generating an API Key

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Finding your Akismet API Key

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Video

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Expert Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

You can use your WordPress API key to customize your blog or website with third-party plug-ins, applications, widgets, and themes. There are different WordPress keys depending on whether you are hosting WordPress on your web server or running a blog through WordPress.com. This wikiHow will teach you how to find or get your WordPress API key.

Finding and Creating Your WordPress API Key

You can find your WordPress API key in the welcome email you receive when you sign up for WordPress, or generate a new key in your WordPress Dashboard. Go to the profile for the user who needs a key, enter a name for the key, and click "Add New Application Password" to create your API key.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Generating an API Key

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If you are hosting a WordPress website on your own server, you can find your WordPress API key in the email you receive when you sign up for WordPress. You can also generate new API keys for different apps and plug-ins from the WordPress dashboard on your server.
To do so, go to "[your website's URL]/wp-admin." Then, log in with the username and password associated with your WordPress account.

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Go to your user profile. To do so, click User in the menu bar to the left and then click Profile.
- Be sure to choose the WordPress user you need to generate an API key.
You'll need to scroll down and enter it in the field below "Application Password." You can give it any name you want, but it's recommended you give a name that references that app or plug-in you want to use it for.
It's below the field where you entered your name. This generates a new API key.
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Copy your API key. Once the key is generated, copy the 24-digit code in the field below the "Add New Application Password" button. It is recommended that you save this key somewhere safe, as you cannot recover it once you leave this page.^{[1]
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- If you lose the application password you generated, you will need to return to the "Applications Password" section in the User menu, click Revoke next to the password name you lost, and generate a new key.
- You can paste this key into the Application Password or API Key section of any apps or third-party plug-ins you are trying to integrate into your WordPress platform. You can also use the API key to make API calls in your own programming.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Finding your Akismet API Key

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1
Go to your dashboard. Akismet is the anti-spam service that comes with your WordPress installation and your WordPress.com blog. If you have a WordPress.com account, go to http://dashboard.wordpress.com/wp-admin/profile.php and log in if prompted. With a WordPress that you host elsewhere, you can navigate to your website and log in to see your dashboard.
- Although this method includes the plugin "Akismet," most other plugins that create and use API keys act similarly.
- Alternatively, once you are logged in to your WordPress.com account, you can go to https://apikey.wordpress.com/ to get your API key. It's listed at the top of the page.
It's at the top of the page and will redirect you to a "Personal Settings" page.
You'll see this under the "Personal Settings" header at the top of the page. Your browser will be directed to the Akismet site, where you can learn more about the WordPress plugin.
It's the large button in the middle of the web browser.
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Choose your plan and create your account. Commercial plans range between $ 50 USD/mo and $ 10 USD/mo, as well as a personal plan that lets you decide how much to pay. You can also choose the personal account option, which lets you choose your own price.
- To continue, you'll need to enter your payment information, including your payment method and billing address.
- After you've set up Akismet on your site, you'll receive an email containing the API key, which you'll need to enter into the plugin's settings on your WordPress website.
If you still have the previous WordPress page loaded, click Browse sites in the top left corner of your browser and click the site you're installing Akismet on.
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Click Settings. This is listed under the Akismet plugin under the "Plugins" header.
- You may need to click Plugins to expand that list before you see the Akismet section.
This will give you a text field where you can enter the code from the email from Akismet.
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Copy the API key in your email and paste it into the text field in WordPress. The email should be titled "Your Akismet API key" from "Akismet Support."
- Highlight the code (it's a mix of letters and numbers) and press Ctrl/Cmd + C.
You'll see a confirmation notification once the process is completed.

Expert Q&A

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Where can I edit css files?

Martin Aranovitch
WordPress Trainer & Educator
Martin Aranovitch is a WordPress Trainer and Educator and a WordPress Writer for WPMU DEV. With over 18 years of digital marketing and website maintenance experience, Martin specializes in providing comprehensive instruction for people looking to use WordPress effectively. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Science and Technology Studies from The University of New South Wales. Martin is also a digital publisher and the author of multiple WordPress guides and training manuals for people of all learning levels.

Martin Aranovitch

WordPress Trainer & Educator

Expert Answer

CSS (Cascading StyleSheets) allows you to format various design elements on your themes, such as spacing, colors, borders, indentations, animations, and a whole lot more. Typically, in WordPress, editing a CSS file is done via the Theme Editor (Appearance > Theme Editor) on a file called Stylesheet (style.css) which controls the style and format of all the theme's design elements. Additionally, adding custom CSS to your theme can be done via the WordPress Customizer (Appearance > Customize > Additional CSS)

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Tips

There are other WordPress API keys that serve different purposes. You can find a complete list of the different API keys and information about them at https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress_APIs You can find more information about WordPress.org APIs from https://codex.wordpress.org/WordPress.org_API

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