Ordnance Survey · Authentication Profile

Ordnance Survey Authentication

Authentication

Three interchangeable credentials across the whole Ordnance Survey estate: the Project API Key as the `key` query parameter, the same key as the `key` request header, or an OAuth 2.0 client-credentials Bearer token. Credentials belong to an OS Data Hub API Project, not to a user, and carry no scopes - entitlement comes from which APIs are attached to the project and which plan the account holds. A 401 is a credential failure; a 403 is a LICENSING failure. The OS Net API spec ships an unresolved OAUTH_TOKEN_URL placeholder as its tokenUrl; the real endpoint is https://api.os.uk/oauth2/token/v1.

Ordnance Survey secures its APIs with apiKey and oauth2 across 3 declared security schemes, as derived from its OpenAPI definitions. OAuth 2.0 is offered via the clientCredentials flow(s).

Real EstateUnited KingdomLand RegistryGeospatialAddressingOpen DataProperty DataPropTechGovernmentMappingOGCUPRNNational MappingGNSSVector Tiles

Methods: apiKey, oauth2 Schemes: 3 OAuth flows: clientCredentials API key in: header, query

Security Schemes

OAuth2 oauth2

· flows: clientCredentials

APIKeyQuery apiKey

· in: query (key)

APIKeyHeader apiKey

· in: header (key)

Source

Authentication Profile

generated: '2026-07-26'
method: searched
source: openapi/ordnance-survey-downloads-openapi.yaml, openapi/ordnance-survey-features-wfs-openapi.json,
  openapi/ordnance-survey-linked-identifiers-openapi.json, openapi/ordnance-survey-maps-openapi.json,
  openapi/ordnance-survey-names-openapi.json, openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-features-openapi.json,
  openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-tiles-openapi.json, openapi/ordnance-survey-osnet-openapi.yaml,
  openapi/ordnance-survey-places-openapi.json, openapi/ordnance-survey-vector-tile-openapi.json
docs: https://docs.os.uk/os-apis/core-concepts/authentication
oauth2_docs: https://docs.os.uk/os-apis/accessing-os-apis/oauth-2-api/technical-specification
description: >-
  Three interchangeable credentials across the whole Ordnance Survey estate:
  the Project API Key as the `key` query parameter, the same key as the `key`
  request header, or an OAuth 2.0 client-credentials Bearer token. Credentials
  belong to an OS Data Hub API Project, not to a user, and carry no scopes -
  entitlement comes from which APIs are attached to the project and which plan
  the account holds. A 401 is a credential failure; a 403 is a LICENSING
  failure. The OS Net API spec ships an unresolved OAUTH_TOKEN_URL placeholder
  as its tokenUrl; the real endpoint is https://api.os.uk/oauth2/token/v1.
oauth2:
  token_url: https://api.os.uk/oauth2/token/v1
  grant_type: client_credentials
  client_authentication: HTTP Basic - Project API Key as username, Project API Secret as password
  request_content_type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded
  response_fields: [access_token, expires_in, issued_at, token_type]
  documented_expires_in: 299
  token_type: Bearer
  usage: 'Authorization: Bearer <accessToken>'
  scopes_published: false
  refresh_tokens: false
  discovery: none - no /.well-known/openid-configuration and no RFC 8414 metadata
api_key:
  query_parameter: key
  header: key
  scope: OS Data Hub API Project
  rotation: Keys can be regenerated in place from the API project page in the OS Data Hub.
provider_guidance:
  - Keep API keys and tokens secure at all times.
  - Rotate keys periodically to minimise the risk of unauthorised access.
  - Regularly check usage patterns of API keys.
  - Set up alerts for unusual or unauthorised activity.
  - Use separate API projects so usage can be monitored per project.
failure_semantics:
  401: No credential or an incorrect/expired credential.
  403: >-
    Authenticated but not entitled - the API is not in your plan (Premium /
    Public Sector / PSGA) or has not been added to this API project.
summary:
  types:
  - apiKey
  - oauth2
  api_key_in:
  - header
  - query
  oauth2_flows:
  - clientCredentials
schemes:
- name: OAuth2
  type: oauth2
  flows:
  - flow: clientCredentials
    tokenUrl: https://api.os.uk/oauth2/token/v1
    scopes: 0
  sources:
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-downloads-openapi.yaml
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-linked-identifiers-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-features-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-tiles-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-osnet-openapi.yaml
- name: APIKeyQuery
  type: apiKey
  in: query
  parameter: key
  sources:
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-downloads-openapi.yaml
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-features-wfs-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-linked-identifiers-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-maps-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-names-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-features-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-tiles-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-osnet-openapi.yaml
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-places-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-vector-tile-openapi.json
- name: APIKeyHeader
  type: apiKey
  in: header
  parameter: key
  sources:
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-downloads-openapi.yaml
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-features-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-ngd-tiles-openapi.json
  - openapi/ordnance-survey-osnet-openapi.yaml