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The Medplum API uses standard OAuth2/OpenID authentication. The "Client Credentials Flow" is recommended for machine-to-machine access.

## Obtaining Credentials

This tutorial assumes you already have a Medplum account. (If not, please [register](https://app.medplum.com/register).)

Create a [ClientApplication](https://app.medplum.com/ClientApplication) if one does not already exist. You can create a new ClientApplication on the [Project Admin page](https://app.medplum.com/admin/clients).

For this example you will need the `ID` and `Secret`.

## Connecting to the service

Execute an HTTP POST request to the OAuth2 Token endpoint:

- cURL
- Python

```curl
curl -X POST https://api.medplum.com/oauth2/token \
    -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
    -d "grant_type=client_credentials&client_id=$MY_CLIENT_ID&client_secret=$MY_CLIENT_SECRET"
```

```py
def get_auth_token(url, client_id, client_secret):

# Encode the client ID and client secret

headers = {
      "Content-Type": "application/x-www-form-urlencoded"
  }

body = {
      "grant_type": "client_credentials",
      "client_id": client_id,
      "client_secret": client_secret
  }

response = requests.post(url, data=body, headers=headers)

return response.json()['access_token']
```

**Note:** If you are hosting this on localhost, without editing the configuration file, the URL will be `http://localhost:8103/oauth2/token`

On success, the response will be a JSON object with the following properties:

```json
{
  "token_type": "Bearer",
  "access_token": "<YOUR_AUTH_TOKEN>",
  "expires_in": 3600
}
```

The value of "access_token" can then be used in future requests for authentication.

Alternatively, you can initiate the process in the Medplum Client by using the [`startClientLogin`](/content/docs/sdk/core.medplumclient.startclientlogin) convenience method.

For more details about OAuth2 Client Credentials Flow:

- [https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6749#section-4.4](https://datatracker.ietf.org/doc/html/rfc6749#section-4.4)
- [https://oauth.net/2/grant-types/client-credentials/](https://oauth.net/2/grant-types/client-credentials/)
- [https://auth0.com/docs/flows/client-credentials-flow](https://auth0.com/docs/flows/client-credentials-flow)

- [Obtaining Credentials](/content/docs/auth/client-credentials#obtaining-credentials/index.html)
- [Connecting to the service](/content/docs/auth/client-credentials#connecting-to-the-service/index.html)