# InstAccess tokens

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Welcome to Our New API Docs!** This is the new home for all things API (previously at [Canvas LMS REST API Documentation](https://api.instructure.com)).
{% endhint %}

## InstAccess tokens API

Short term JWT tokens that can be used to authenticate with Canvas and other Instructure services. InstAccess tokens expire after one hour. Canvas hands out encrypted tokens that need to be decrypted by the API Gateway before they can be accepted by Canvas or other services.

**An InstAccessToken object looks like:**

```js
{
  // The InstAccess token itself -- a signed, encrypted JWT
  "token": "eyJhbGciOiJSU0ExXzUiLCJlbmMiOiJBMTI4Q0JDLUhTMjU2In0.EstatUwzltksvZn4wbjHYiwleM986vzryrv4R9jqvYDGEY4rt6KPG4Q6lJ3oI0piYbH7h17i8vIWv35cqrgRbb7fzmGQ0Ptj74OEjx-1gGBMZCbZTE4W206XxPHRm9TS4qOAvIq0hsvJroE4xZsVWJFiUIKl_Wd2udbvqwF8bvnMKPAx_ooa-9mWaG1N9kd4EWC3Oxu9wi7j8ZG_TbkLSXAg1KxLaO2zXBcU5_HWrKFRxOjHmWpaOMKWkjUInt-DA6fLRszBZp9BFGoop8S9KDs6f1JebLgyM5gGrP-Gz7kSEAPO9eVXtjpd6N29wMClNI0X-Ppp_40Fp4Z3vocTKQ.c_tcevWI68RuZ0s04fDSEQ.wV8KIPHGfYwxm19MWt3K7VVGm4qqZJruPwAZ8rdUANTzJoqwafqOnYZLCyky8lV7J-m64SMVUmR-BOha_CmJEKVVw7T5x70MTP6-nv4RMVPpcViHsNgE2f1GE9HUauVePw7CrnV0PyVaNq2EZasDgdHdye4iG_-hXXQZRnGYzxl8UceTLBVkpEYHlXKdD7DyQ0IT2BYOcZSpXyW7kEIvAHpNaNbvTPCR2t0SeGbuNf8PpYVjohKDpXhNgQ-Pyl9pxs05TrdjTq1fIctzTLqIN58nfqzoqQld6rSkjcAZZXgr8bOsg8EDFMov5gTv2_Uf-YOm52yD1SbL0lJ-VdpKgXu7XtQ4UmEOj40W4uXF-KmLTjEwQmdbmtKrruhakIeth7EZa3w0Xg6RRyHLqKUheAdTgxAIer8MST8tamZlqW1b9wjMw371zSSjeksF_UjTS9p9i7eTtRPuAbf9geDhKb5e-y29MJaL1eKkhTMiEOPY3O4XGGuqRdRMrbjkNmla_RxiQhFJ3T8Dem-yDRan8gqaJLfRRrvGViz-lty96bQT-Z0hVer1uJhAtkM6RT_DgrnAUP_66LfaupZr6bLCKwnYocF1ICcAzkcYw7l5jHa4DTc2ZLgLi-yfbv2wGXpybAvLfZcO424TxHOuQykCSvbfPPuf06kkjPbYmMg6_GdM3JcQ_50VUXQFZkjH45BH5zX7y-2u0ReM8zxt65RpJAvlivrc8j2_E-u0LhlzCwEgsnd61lG4baaI86IVl4wNXkMDui4CgGvAUAf4AXW7Imw_cF0zI69z0SLfahjaYkdREGIYKStBtPAR04sfsR7o.LHBODYub4W4Vq-SXfdbk1Q"
}
```

### [Create InstAccess token](#method.inst_access_tokens.create) <a href="#method.inst_access_tokens.create" id="method.inst_access_tokens.create"></a>

[InstAccessTokensController#create](https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms/blob/master/app/controllers/inst_access_tokens_controller.rb)

**`POST /api/v1/inst_access_tokens`**

**Scope:** `url:POST|/api/v1/inst_access_tokens`

Create a unique, encrypted InstAccess token.

Generates a different InstAccess token each time it’s called, each one expires after a short window (1 hour).

**Example Request:**

```bash
curl 'https://<canvas>/api/v1/inst_access_tokens' \
      -X POST \
      -H "Accept: application/json" \
      -H 'Authorization: Bearer <token>'
```

Returns an [InstAccessToken](#instaccesstoken) object.

***

This documentation is generated directly from the Canvas LMS source code, available [on Github](https://github.com/instructure/canvas-lms).


---

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