> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://nango.dev/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Private API (Generic)

## Overview

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Pre-built tooling" icon="screwdriver-wrench" href="#pre-built-tooling" />

  <Card title="Pre-built integrations" icon="square-check" href="#pre-built-integrations" />

  <Card title="Access requirements" icon="triangle-exclamation" href="#access-requirements" />

  <Card title="Setup guide" icon="rocket" href="#setup-guide" />

  <Card title="Useful links" icon="circle-info" href="#useful-links" />

  <Card title="API gotchas" icon="biohazard" href="#api-gotchas" />
</CardGroup>

## Pre-built tooling

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="✅ Authorization">
    | Tools                             | Status |
    | --------------------------------- | ------ |
    | Pre-built authorization (API Key) | ✅      |
    | Pre-built authorization UI        | ✅      |
    | Custom authorization UI           | ✅      |
    | End-user authorization guide      | ✅      |
    | Expired credentials detection     | ✅      |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="✅ Read & write data">
    | Tools                                     | Status                         |
    | ----------------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
    | Pre-built integrations                    | 🚫 (time to contribute: \<48h) |
    | API unification                           | ✅                              |
    | 2-way sync                                | ✅                              |
    | Webhooks from Nango on data modifications | ✅                              |
    | Real-time webhooks from 3rd-party API     | 🚫 (time to contribute: \<48h) |
    | Proxy requests                            | ✅                              |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="✅ Observability & data quality">
    | Tools                   | Status |
    | ----------------------- | ------ |
    | HTTP request logging    | ✅      |
    | End-to-end type safety  | ✅      |
    | Data runtime validation | ✅      |
    | OpenTelemetry export    | ✅      |
    | Slack alerts on errors  | ✅      |
    | Integration status API  | ✅      |
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="✅ Customization">
    | Tools                              | Status                         |
    | ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------ |
    | Create or customize use-cases      | ✅                              |
    | Pre-configured pagination          | 🚫 (time to contribute: \<48h) |
    | Pre-configured rate-limit handling | 🚫 (time to contribute: \<48h) |
    | Per-customer configurations        | ✅                              |
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

*No pre-built syncs or actions available yet.*

<Tip>Not seeing the integration you need? [Build your own](/guides/functions/functions-guide) independently.</Tip>

## When to use it

Use Private API (Generic) for APIs that authenticate with an API key but do not use `Authorization: Bearer <key>`. Unlike Private API (Bearer Auth), you configure per integration how the proxy presents the key:

* **Key placement**: `header` or `query` param. Prefer `header` — keys sent as a query param can be exposed in upstream, proxy, and CDN logs.
* **Key name**: the header or query-param name, e.g. `Authorization`, `x-api-key`, `api_key`.
* **Value template**: how the key is wrapped, using `${apiKey}` as the placeholder, e.g. `${apiKey}`, `Bearer ${apiKey}`, `Api-Key ${apiKey}`.
* **Base URL**: the upstream API the proxy calls.
* **API key label**: the label end users see for the key field in the Connect UI.

The key is vaulted by Nango and injected by the proxy, so raw credentials never need to leave Nango.

## Important limitations

* **Limited functionality**: Private API (Generic) is limited to storing and injecting a single API key. Because it's generic, many advanced Nango features are not available for it.
* **Base URL required**: You must set the base URL on the integration; there is no predefined base URL like other integrations.
* **Recommended use cases only**: The only recommended use case for private API integrations is to store credentials for internal/customer-specific APIs that cannot be added to the Nango catalog.
* **For all other use cases**: We recommend [contributing the API to Nango](/integrations/contribute-or-request-api) or requesting it be added by us.

## Create the integration programmatically

You can create and update a Private API (Generic) integration from the dashboard, or programmatically with the API or SDK by passing its configuration in `integration_config`.

<CodeGroup>
  ```js Node SDK theme={null}
  await nango.createIntegration({
      provider: 'private-api-generic',
      unique_key: 'acme-internal',
      display_name: 'Acme Internal API',
      integration_config: {
          baseUrl: 'https://api.acme.com',
          keyPlacement: 'header',
          keyName: 'Authorization',
          valueTemplate: 'Api-Key ${apiKey}',
          keyLabel: 'Acme API Key'
      }
  });
  ```

  ```bash HTTP API theme={null}
  curl -X POST 'https://api.nango.dev/integrations' \
    -H 'Authorization: Bearer <NANGO-API-KEY>' \
    -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
    -d '{
      "provider": "private-api-generic",
      "unique_key": "acme-internal",
      "display_name": "Acme Internal API",
      "integration_config": {
        "baseUrl": "https://api.acme.com",
        "keyPlacement": "header",
        "keyName": "Authorization",
        "valueTemplate": "Api-Key ${apiKey}",
        "keyLabel": "Acme API Key"
      }
    }'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

Configuration fields:

| Field           | Required | Description                                                                               |
| --------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `baseUrl`       | Yes      | Base URL of the upstream API the proxy calls.                                             |
| `keyPlacement`  | Yes      | Where the API key is sent: `header` or `query`. Prefer `header`.                          |
| `keyName`       | Yes      | Header or query-param name, e.g. `Authorization`, `x-api-key`.                            |
| `valueTemplate` | Yes      | How the key is presented, using `${apiKey}` as the placeholder, e.g. `Api-Key ${apiKey}`. |
| `keyLabel`      | No       | Label end users see for the key field in the Connect UI. Defaults to `API Key`.           |

To change the configuration later, send the fields you want to update with [Update an integration](/reference/backend/http-api/integration/update) (`PATCH /integrations/{uniqueKey}`) or `nango.updateIntegration()`.

## Setup guide

*No setup guide yet.*

<Tip>Need help getting started? Get help in the [community](https://nango.dev/slack).</Tip>

<Note>Contribute improvements to the setup guide by [editing this page](https://github.com/nangohq/nango/tree/master/docs/integrations/all/private-api-generic.mdx)</Note>

## Useful links

*No useful links yet.*

<Note>Contribute useful links by [editing this page](https://github.com/nangohq/nango/tree/master/docs/integrations/all/private-api-generic.mdx)</Note>

## API gotchas

<Note>Contribute API gotchas by [editing this page](https://github.com/nangohq/nango/tree/master/docs/integrations/all/private-api-generic.mdx)</Note>

<Card title="Connect to Private API (Generic)" icon="link" href="/integrations/all/private-api-generic/connect" horizontal>
  Guide to connect to Private API (Generic) using Connect UI
</Card>