How to use Jira REST API without API Key

Laura September 23, 2022

My company is using Jira Enterprise and I want to access my team's board and my own tickets through the Jira API. I am working on setting up a react app for an internal project we will use for onboarding and other small initiatives. I cannot create an API Key through my account (I've done this in the past for other companies, but I just don't seem to have the option currently), and I am seeing that basic auth using my username and password has been deprecated? Is there a way I can access my Jira content (that I am able to see in the browser when I am logged into my account through my company)?

We use Jira Enterprise and as an example, the url I use to access our current sprint is:  https://jira.{myCompany}.com/jira/secure/RapidBoard.jspa

Many thanks!

2 answers

1 vote
David Bakkers
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September 23, 2022

Hello @Laura 

Jira Enterprise comes in two flavours:

  1. Cloud - Supports Basic Auth using key + token, but not username + password (deprecated ages ago)
  2. Data Centre - Supports Basic Auth using username + password, and / or Personal Access Tokens (PATs), depending on the version and how it's configured (Basic Auth with passwords can be disabled to force PATs to be used).

You will have to liaise with your sysadmins to determine which flavour and version you have, and what type of Basic Auth methods it supports.

0 votes
Mikael Sandberg
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September 23, 2022

Hi @Laura,

Welcome to Atlassian Community!

You can create an API key if you go to id.atlassian.com. Under security you can create and manage your keys.

Laura September 23, 2022

Thank you @Mikael Sandberg - I have tried this and it seems I don't have access/this isn't available to me on our account, which is why I was trying to go the basic auth route w/ a username/pw. Since that is deprecated, is there another way around this?

Laura September 23, 2022

As a note - the account I am currently on is not associated w/ my company's account or my account in Jira.

Mikael Sandberg
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September 23, 2022

You have to use the account that is associated with your instance. 99% if the endpoints in Jira require an API token, exceptions are some JSM endpoints.

Nic Brough -Adaptavist-
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September 23, 2022

I'm afraid not, you need to use the API key route now.

Stefan Salzl
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September 28, 2022

One question:

in your initial post you mentioned you want to get „your own issues“ - how could you own issues when u are not associated with/have a user in a jira instance?

Best
Stefan

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