# Use the Amazon Location Service console to authenticate
<a name="set-up-auth"></a>

**Note**  
To learn more about authentication, see [Authenticate with Amazon Location Service](access.md).

To use Amazon Location Service, a user must be granted access to the resources and APIs that make up Amazon Location. By default, the Amazon Location APIs require authentication to use. You can use either Amazon Cognito or API keys to provide authentication and authorization for anonymous users. 

In the [Create your first Amazon Location Maps and Places application](first-app.md) tutorial, the application has anonymous usage, which means your users aren't required to sign in. In the tutorial, you create API keys for use in the sample application.

Follow the procedures below to create your first API key.

1. In the [https://console.aws.amazon.com/location](https://console.aws.amazon.com/location) and choose **API keys** from the left menu.

1. On the **API keys** page, choose **Create API key**.

1. On the **Create API key **page, fill in the following information:
   + **Name** – A name for your API key, such as `MyHelloWorldApp`.
   + **Description** – An optional description for your API key.
   + **Actions** – Specify the actions you want to authorize with this API key. You must select at least **geo-maps:Get\$1** and **geo-places:Search\$1**.
   + **Expiration time** – Optionally, add an expiration date and time for your API key. For more information, see [API key best practices](using-apikeys.md#api-keys-best-practices).
   + **Client restrictions** – Optionally, add one or more web domains or one or more Android or Apple apps where you can use the API key. For example, if the API key is to allow an application running on the website `example.com`, then you could put `*.example.com/` as an allowed referrer.
   + **Tags** – Optionally, add tags to the API key.
**Important**  
We recommend that you protect your API key usage by setting either an expiration time or a referrer, if not both.

1. Choose **Create API key** to create the API key.

1. On the detail page for the API key, you can see information about the API key that you have created. 

   Choose **Show API key** and copy the key value to use later in the [Create your first Amazon Location Maps and Places application](first-app.md) tutorial. The key value will have the format `v1.public.a1b2c3d4...`.