---
title: "Secure Iris APIs with API Key Authentication"
description: "Secure your Iris API using a shared secret."
canonicalUrl: "https://zuplo.com/use-cases/api-key-auth/go/iris/secure-header"
framework: "Iris"
language: "Go"
authStrategy: "shared secret header"
pageType: use-case
---

# Secure Iris APIs with API Key Authentication

Secure your Iris API using a shared secret.

## How Zuplo Handles It

Put Zuplo in front of your Iris backend to authenticate API keys and forward a shared secret header so your origin only accepts traffic from Zuplo.

## Iris Backend Code

```go
package main

import (
    "crypto/subtle"
    "os"

    "github.com/kataras/iris/v12"
)

// validateSharedSecret is a middleware that checks for the shared secret header.
func validateSharedSecret(ctx iris.Context) {
    secret := ctx.GetHeader("X-Shared-Secret")
    expectedSecret := os.Getenv("SHARED_SECRET")

    if expectedSecret == "" {
        ctx.StatusCode(iris.StatusInternalServerError)
        ctx.JSON(iris.Map{"error": "Server configuration error"})
        return
    }

    if secret == "" {
        ctx.StatusCode(iris.StatusUnauthorized)
        ctx.JSON(iris.Map{"error": "No secret provided"})
        return
    }

    // Use timing-safe comparison to prevent timing attacks
    if len(secret) != len(expectedSecret) ||
        subtle.ConstantTimeCompare([]byte(secret), []byte(expectedSecret)) != 1 {
        ctx.StatusCode(iris.StatusUnauthorized)
        ctx.JSON(iris.Map{"error": "Invalid secret"})
        return
    }

    ctx.Next()
}

func main() {
    app := iris.New()

    app.Get("/protected", validateSharedSecret, func(ctx iris.Context) {
        ctx.JSON(iris.Map{"message": "Access granted"})
    })

    app.Listen(":8080")
}
```

## Example Request

```bash
curl -X GET \
  'https://your-api.zuplo.dev/your-route' \
  -H 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY'
```

## Learn More

- [API Key Authentication on Zuplo](https://zuplo.com/docs/policies/api-key-auth-inbound)
- [JWT Authentication on Zuplo](https://zuplo.com/docs/policies/open-id-jwt-auth-inbound)
- [All use cases](https://zuplo.com/use-cases)