Authentication¶

Chain Sentinel supports multiple authentication methods for both web dashboard and API access.

Web Dashboard Authentication¶

Google OAuth (Recommended)¶

The fastest way to get started:

1. Click "Sign in with Google" on the login page
2. Select your Google account
3. Approve permissions:
4. Read your email address
5. Read your basic profile info
6. Instant access - no email verification needed

Benefits: - ✅ One-click sign in - ✅ No password to remember - ✅ Secure (OAuth 2.0) - ✅ Pre-verified email

Email & Password¶

Traditional authentication method:

1. Register with email and password
2. Verify your email address
3. Log in with credentials

Password Requirements: - Minimum 8 characters - At least one uppercase letter - At least one lowercase letter - At least one number - At least one special character (!@#$%^&*)

Example Strong Password:

MySecure2024!

Session Management¶

After logging in:

• Session Duration: 7 days
• Auto-logout: After 7 days of inactivity
• Remember Me: Enabled by default
• Multi-device: Can log in from multiple devices

To log out: 1. Click your profile in the sidebar 2. Select "Logout" 3. Session is terminated immediately

API Authentication¶

API Key Authentication¶

All API requests require an API key in the request header.

Getting Your API Key¶

1. Log in to app.chainsentinel.net
2. Navigate to 🔑 API Keys
3. Click "Create New API Key"
4. Enter a descriptive name
5. Select your tier (Free/Pro/Enterprise)
6. Copy the key (shown only once!)

Using Your API Key¶

Include the API key in the X-API-Key header:

curl -H "X-API-Key: your_api_key_here" \
  https://api.chainsentinel.net/api/tokens

import requests

headers = {
    "X-API-Key": "your_api_key_here"
}

response = requests.get(
    "https://api.chainsentinel.net/api/tokens",
    headers=headers
)

print(response.json())

const response = await fetch(
  'https://api.chainsentinel.net/api/tokens',
  {
    headers: {
      'X-API-Key': 'your_api_key_here'
    }
  }
);

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

package main

import (
    "fmt"
    "net/http"
    "io/ioutil"
)

func main() {
    client := &http.Client{}
    req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", 
        "https://api.chainsentinel.net/api/tokens", nil)

    req.Header.Add("X-API-Key", "your_api_key_here")

    resp, _ := client.Do(req)
    defer resp.Body.Close()

    body, _ := ioutil.ReadAll(resp.Body)
    fmt.Println(string(body))
}

Alternative Methods¶

You can also pass the API key via:

Authorization Header:

curl -H "Authorization: Bearer your_api_key_here" \
  https://api.chainsentinel.net/api/tokens

Query Parameter (not recommended for production):

curl "https://api.chainsentinel.net/api/tokens?api_key=your_api_key_here"

Rate Limiting¶

API requests are rate-limited based on your subscription tier:

Rate Limit Headers¶

Every API response includes rate limit information:

X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 95
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1704067200

• X-RateLimit-Limit - Total requests allowed per day
• X-RateLimit-Remaining - Requests remaining today
• X-RateLimit-Reset - Unix timestamp when limit resets

Handling Rate Limits¶

When you exceed the rate limit, you'll receive:

Status Code: 429 Too Many Requests

Response:

{
  "error": "Rate limit exceeded",
  "message": "You have exceeded your free tier limit of 100 requests per day",
  "tier": "free",
  "limit": 100,
  "upgrade": "https://chainsentinel.net/pricing"
}

Best Practices: - Cache responses when possible - Implement exponential backoff - Monitor X-RateLimit-Remaining header - Upgrade to Pro tier for higher limits

API Key Management¶

Viewing Your Keys¶

Navigate to 🔑 API Keys to see:

• Key name
• Creation date
• Last used date
• Request count (last 24h)
• Status (active/revoked)

Revoking Keys¶

To revoke a compromised key:

1. Go to 🔑 API Keys
2. Find the key to revoke
3. Click "Revoke"
4. Confirm the action

Key Rotation¶

For security, rotate your API keys regularly:

1. Create a new API key
2. Update your applications with the new key
3. Test that everything works
4. Revoke the old key

Recommended Rotation Schedule: - Production: Every 90 days - Development: Every 30 days

Security Best Practices¶

For Web Dashboard¶

✅ Do: - Use strong, unique passwords - Enable Google OAuth when possible - Log out from shared computers - Keep your email secure

❌ Don't: - Share your password - Use the same password across sites - Stay logged in on public computers

For API Keys¶

✅ Do: - Store keys in environment variables - Use different keys for dev/prod - Rotate keys regularly - Monitor usage in dashboard

❌ Don't: - Commit keys to version control - Share keys publicly - Use keys in client-side code - Log keys in application logs

Environment Variables¶

Store API keys securely:

export CHAIN_SENTINEL_API_KEY="your_key_here"

# .env file
CHAIN_SENTINEL_API_KEY=your_key_here

# Load in code
from dotenv import load_dotenv
import os

load_dotenv()
api_key = os.getenv("CHAIN_SENTINEL_API_KEY")

// .env file
CHAIN_SENTINEL_API_KEY=your_key_here

// Load in code
require('dotenv').config();
const apiKey = process.env.CHAIN_SENTINEL_API_KEY;

.gitignore¶

Always exclude sensitive files:

# Environment variables
.env
.env.local
.env.production

# API keys
api_keys.txt
secrets.json

Troubleshooting¶

401 Unauthorized¶

Possible causes: - Invalid API key - Revoked API key - Missing X-API-Key header - Expired session (web dashboard)

Solutions: - Verify the API key is correct - Check if key was revoked - Ensure header is included - Log in again (web dashboard)

403 Forbidden¶

Possible causes: - Insufficient permissions - Subscription tier restriction

Solutions: - Check your subscription tier - Upgrade to access premium features - Contact support for permission issues

429 Too Many Requests¶

Possible causes: - Rate limit exceeded - Too many requests in short time

Solutions: - Wait for rate limit reset - Implement request throttling - Upgrade to higher tier - Cache responses

Need Help?¶

• 📖 API Reference
• 📖 FAQ
• 💬 Telegram Community
• 📧 support@chainsentinel.net

Next: Dashboard Guide →