---
layout: "http"
page_title: "HTTP API"
sidebar_current: "docs-http-overview"
description: |-
  Vault has an HTTP API that can be used to control every aspect of Vault.
---

# HTTP API

The Vault HTTP API gives you full access to Vault via HTTP. Every
aspect of Vault can be controlled via this API. The Vault CLI uses
the HTTP API to access Vault.

## Version Prefix

All API routes are prefixed with `/v1/`.

This documentation is only for the v1 API.

~> **Backwards compatibility:** At the current version, Vault does
not yet promise backwards compatibility even with the v1 prefix. We'll
remove this warning when this policy changes. We expect we'll reach API
stability by Vault 0.3.

## Transport

The API is expected to be accessed over a TLS connection at
all times, with a valid certificate that is verified by a well
behaved client. It is possible to disable TLS verification for
listeners, however, so API clients should expect to have to do both
depending on user settings.

## Authentication

Once the Vault is unsealed, every other operation requires
a _client token_. A user may have a client token explicitly.
The client token must be sent as the `token` cookie.

Otherwise, a client token can be retrieved via
[authentication backends](#).

Each authentication backend will have one or more unauthenticated
login endpoints. These endpoints can be reached without any authentication,
and are used for authentication itself. These endpoints are specific
to each authentication backend.

Login endpoints for authentication backends that generate an identity
will be sent down with a `Set-Cookie` header. If you are using a
well-behaved HTTP client, then authentication information will
automatically be saved and sent to the Vault API.

## Help

To retrieve the help for any API within Vault, including mounted
backends, credential providers, etc. then append `?help=1` to any
URL. If you have valid permission to access the path, then the help text
will be returned with the following structure:

```javascript
{
  "help": "help text"
}
```

## Error Response

A common JSON structure is always returned to return errors:

```javascript
{
  "errors": [
    "message",
    "another message"
  ]
}
```

This structure will be sent down for any HTTP status greater than
or equal to 400.

## HTTP Status Codes

The following HTTP status codes are used throughout the API.

- `200` - Success with data.
- `204` - Success, no data returned.
- `400` - Invalid request, missing or invalid data. See the
   "validation" section for more details on the error response.
- `401` - Unauthorized, your authentication details are either
   incorrect or you don't have access to this feature.
- `404` - Invalid path. This can both mean that the path truly
   doesn't exist or that you don't have permission to view a
   specific path. We use 404 in some cases to avoid state leakage.
- `429` - Rate limit exceeded. Try again after waiting some period
   of time.
- `500` - Internal server error. An internal error has occurred,
   try again later. If the error persists, report a bug.
- `503` - Vault is down for maintenance or is currently sealed.
   Try again later.
