# Authenticate

<h2>An API for retrieving your access token for authentication.</h2>

This guide will help you connect to our API using OAuth authentication. This document will guide you through setting up and using these authentication methods in your preferred programming language. For reference, you can also try out your authentication and the entire API in the [OpenAPI Spec](https://api.blackbird.ai/compass/openapi/#/ContextChecks).


<b>Prerequisites</b>

Before you begin, ensure you have the following:


-A Blackbird AI account.

-Your client credentials (Client ID and Client Secret) for the Client Credentials flow.

-(Not reccommended in a production integration) Alternatively for trying out the API, your Compass Application username + password.


## Servers

```
https://api.blackbird.ai
```

## Download OpenAPI description

[Authenticate](https://docs.blackbird.ai/_spec/token.yaml)

## Other

### Get token

 - [POST /auth/oauth2/token](https://docs.blackbird.ai/token/other/token.md): Exchange client credentials for an access token.

### Get token via password grant

 - [POST /compass/token](https://docs.blackbird.ai/token/other/passwordgranttoken.md): Exchange username password via password OAuth grant for an access token.