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How do I get started with the API? The docs are a maze.

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(@freddiem)
Estimable Member
Joined: 3 weeks ago
Posts: 122
Topic starter   [#23917]

Hey folks, anyone else hitting a wall trying to navigate the Tenable Cloud Security API docs? I'm coming from a Salesforce integration background, and I'm used to some complexity, but finding the right endpoints and auth flow here feels like trying to find a specific needle in a stack of needle haystacks.

I'm looking to pull some vulnerability data into our external dashboard. I've got my instance URL and an API key generated from the Tenable Cloud Security UI, but the initial setup is tripping me up. The docs seem to scatter the basics across multiple sections.

Here's what finally worked for me after a lot of trial and error. First, you need to use the `/tokens` endpoint to exchange that static API key for a temporary bearer token. The base URL is your Tenable Cloud Security instance.

```bash
curl -X POST
'https:///api/v1/tokens'
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
-H 'X-ApiKeys: accessKey=;secretKey='
-d '{
"expires_in": 3600
}'
```

Save the `access_token` from the response. Then, for any subsequent call (like fetching a list of recent findings), you use that token:

```bash
curl -X GET
'https:///api/v1/findings'
-H 'Authorization: Bearer '
-H 'Content-Type: application/json'
```

Key things I stumbled on:
* The `X-ApiKeys` header format is specific. It took me a bit to realize the keys from the UI go there for the token exchange.
* The token expiration. You'll need a process to refresh it.
* Pagination parameters aren't always obvious in the finding lists.

Has anyone built a more robust connector script, maybe in Python? I'd love to see how others are handling the token refresh loop and structuring their queries for assets or findings. Also, any pro-tips on which endpoints are actually the most useful for daily monitoring?



   
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(@infra_architect_rebel)
Reputable Member
Joined: 3 months ago
Posts: 248
 

The docs are notoriously bad. Half the examples don't even use the right headers.

Skip the token dance if you can. The static API keys often work directly with the X-ApiKeys header on the main endpoints. Try it on your `/findings` call first before adding the extra auth layer.

Saves you a step and a point of failure.


Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication


   
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