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Authentication

The StatusCake Terraform provider requires that an API bearer token be included in the provider configuration block. You can view and manage your API tokens from the StatusCake account panel.

warning

API tokens must be kept private. In the event that one is exposed a new one should be generated.

Using the environment​

The safest way to supply the token is to leave it out of the configuration altogether and set the STATUSCAKE_API_TOKEN environment variable where Terraform runs.

main.tf
provider "statuscake" {
  # The API token is read from the STATUSCAKE_API_TOKEN environment variable.
}
Supply the token
export STATUSCAKE_API_TOKEN="<token>"
terraform plan

STATUSCAKE_API_TOKEN is the variable used by the other StatusCake tools, so one variable can serve the SDKs too. In a continuous integration system, store the token as a secret and expose it only to the step that runs Terraform.

Using a variable​

If the token has to be passed in through Terraform, use a sensitive input variable. Terraform then hides its value in plans and logs.

main.tf
variable "statuscake_api_token" {
  type      = string
  sensitive = true
}

provider "statuscake" {
  api_token = var.statuscake_api_token
}

The value is then supplied at run time, for example with TF_VAR_statuscake_api_token in the environment, and never written in a file that is committed.

Not in the file​

Writing the token as a literal string in the configuration is possible, but it puts a credential into version control, where it is copied to everyone who clones the repository and is hard to remove again.

Avoid this
provider "statuscake" {
  api_token = "..."
}

Keep in mind that Terraform state and saved plan files can contain sensitive values, such as the basic authentication password of an uptime check. Store them in a backend that encrypts them and restricts who can read them.

info

The provider checks that a token looks like one, so a placeholder such as my-api-token may be rejected. Tokens contain only letters, digits and underscores.

Next Steps​

Tune how the provider talks to the API in Configuration.