# Access Keys

An Access Key is used to authenticate and make secure programmatic API calls to the Zata.ai S3 service. It allows applications and S3-compatible tools to interact with object storage for operations such as uploading, downloading, listing, and managing files.

Each access key consists of two parts:

* **Access Key ID** – Acts as a public identifier (similar to a username).
* **Secret Access Key** – Acts as a private credential (similar to a password).

Both are required to authenticate requests to the Zata.ai API.

Access keys are used to make secure REST or Query protocol requests to the Zata.ai service. When configuring any S3-compatible client such as S3 Browser or Cyberduck, you must enter the Access Key ID and Secret Access Key in the respective fields.

The Zata.ai S3 endpoint is:

```
idr01.zata.ai
```

For security reasons, the Secret Access Key should never be shared with anyone. It is recommended to store access keys securely and rotate them periodically as a best practice.

Access keys provide a standardized and secure way to connect applications and tools with Zata.ai Object Storage.