---
title: "Secure Sails.js APIs with API Key Authentication"
description: "Secure your Sails.js API using a shared secret."
canonicalUrl: "https://zuplo.com/use-cases/api-key-auth/javascript/sailsjs/secure-header"
framework: "Sails.js"
language: "JavaScript"
authStrategy: "shared secret header"
pageType: use-case
---

# Secure Sails.js APIs with API Key Authentication

Secure your Sails.js API using a shared secret.

## How Zuplo Handles It

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

## Sails.js Backend Code

```javascript
// api/policies/validateSharedSecret.js

module.exports = function (req, res, proceed) {
  const secret = req.headers["x-shared-secret"];
  const expectedSecret = process.env.SHARED_SECRET;

  if (!expectedSecret) {
    return res.status(500).json({ error: "Server configuration error" });
  }

  if (!secret) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: "No secret provided" });
  }

  // Use timing-safe comparison to prevent timing attacks
  if (
    secret.length !== expectedSecret.length ||
    !require("crypto").timingSafeEqual(
      Buffer.from(secret),
      Buffer.from(expectedSecret),
    )
  ) {
    return res.status(401).json({ error: "Invalid secret" });
  }

  return proceed();
};
```

## 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)