# Obtaining an API key
**URL:** https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810
**Category:** IPUMS API
**Created:** [April 16, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810 "2024-04-16T14:15:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Justin\_Hollis](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Justin_Hollis)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2024, 2:15pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810/1 "2024-04-16T14:15:55Z")
It says IPUMS uses a **common user management system** for several data projects: IPUMS International, IPUMS USA, IPUMS CPS, IPUMS Higher Ed, NHGIS, IPUMS Health Surveys, IPUMS Time Use, and IPUMS Terra.
I have an account with the following start to the login URL
[https://uma.pop.umn.edu/usa/authentication/login](https://uma.pop.umn.edu/usa/authentication/login)
Is this part of the **common user management system** or do I need to create another account in order to obtain an IPUMS API key? The credentials for the account I usually use for IPUMS USA and NHGIS isn’t recognized from the URL for obtaining an API key
[https://account.ipums.org/authentication/login](https://account.ipums.org/authentication/login)
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### Author:  [@fran](https://forum.ipums.org/u/fran)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2024, 3:47pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810/2 "2024-04-16T15:47:09Z")
Hi Justin,
It is all part of the same account, and you should be able to generate an API key using the same credentials as usual. The instructions here: [Get Started with the IPUMS API | IPUMS Developer Portal](https://developer.ipums.org/docs/v2/get-started/) are the way we recommend people generate their API keys. Note that the URL we direct users to is [https://account.ipums.org/api\_keys](https://account.ipums.org/api_keys)
If your normal credentials aren’t working on that page, make sure they are still working to log into any of the IPUMS data collections for which you’re registered. Once logged in via a data collection you can try the [https://account.ipums.org/api\_keys](https://account.ipums.org/api_keys) address again and it should not prompt for additional login.
Let me know if you are still having issues after trying these steps.
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Hollis](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Justin_Hollis)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2024, 5:36pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810/3 "2024-04-16T17:36:55Z")
Hi Fran,
Thank you.
The problem is that it _does_ prompt for an additional login and that additional login does not accept my normal credentials. I’ve also tried logging in via both the IPUMS USA and NHGIS collections and trying the [IPUMS Login](https://account.ipums.org/api_keys) address again, but I’m invariably prompted for that additional login that doesn’t accept my normal credentials. I thought this could have something to do with the ‘uma.pop.umn.edu’ sub and second-level subdomains since they’re not the same as the ‘[account.ipums.org](http://account.ipums.org)’, but there’s apparently more to this.
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### Author:  [@marcus](https://forum.ipums.org/u/marcus)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2024, 7:32pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810/4 "2024-04-16T19:32:19Z")
Hi Justin,
Can you try logging into [https://uma.pop.umn.edu/api\_keys](https://uma.pop.umn.edu/api_keys) (using your regular IPUMS credentials)?
Under the hood [https://account.ipums.org/api\_keys](https://account.ipums.org/api_keys) is essentially an alias for [https://uma.pop.umn.edu/api\_keys](https://uma.pop.umn.edu/api_keys). Since you’re already able to log into IPUMS USA and NHGIS via uma.pop.umn.edu, we’re hoping you’ll have better luck using that domain to log into the API keys page.
Let me know how this goes for you!
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### Author:  [@Justin\_Hollis](https://forum.ipums.org/u/Justin_Hollis)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2024, 8:21pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810/5 "2024-04-16T20:21:58Z")
This worked splendidly. Thank you Marcus!
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### Author:  [@marcus](https://forum.ipums.org/u/marcus)
#### Post date: [April 16, 2024, 8:31pm UTC](https://forum.ipums.org/t/obtaining-an-api-key/5810/6 "2024-04-16T20:31:31Z")
Oh that’s great to hear, Justin! Thanks for letting us know!