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Prerequisites

Before you begin using the OpenPhone API, ensure you have:

An active OpenPhone subscription

Need an account? Follow our account creation guide.

Admin access

Owner or admin privileges in your OpenPhone workspace.
US Messaging Registration Required: To send text messages to US numbers via the API, you must complete US Carrier Registration. Learn more here.

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API key generation

The OpenPhone API uses API keys for secure authentication. Follow these steps to get started:
1

Log in to OpenPhone

Access your OpenPhone account.
2

Access API Settings

Navigate to the “API” tab under workspace settings. Remember, you need workspace owner or admin privileges to access this tab.
3

Generate your key

Click “Generate API key” and provide a descriptive label. Each key provides full API access.
Label your keys based on their intended use (e.g., “Production Environment” or “Testing Integration”)
4

Implement authentication

Include your API key in the Authorization header of each request: Authorization: YOUR_API_KEY
The OpenPhone API does not use a Bearer token for authentication.

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Security guidelines

Your API key carries the same privileges as your OpenPhone account. Treat it with the same level of security as your password.

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Best practices

  • Keep your API keys confidential
  • Don’t share your API keys in publicly accessible areas such as GitHub or client-side code
  • Regularly rotate your API keys to enhance security
  • If a key is compromised, revoke it immediately and generate a new one

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Revoking access

If a key is compromised or no longer needed:
  1. Navigate to the “API” tab in Workspace Settings
  2. Locate the specific key
  3. Click the ellipsis (three dots) icon and select ‘delete’ to immediately revoke access
  4. Generate a new key if needed
Deleting an API key only affects the integrations using that specific key. Other keys and integrations will continue to function normally.