Okta Getting Started: Account Setup & First API Call (2026)

Getting started overview

This guide provides a structured approach to initiating development with Okta, focusing on the essential steps required to set up an account, obtain necessary credentials, and execute a foundational API request. The process begins with account creation, progresses through organizational setup and API token generation, and concludes with a practical example of interacting with the Okta API. This sequence is designed to enable developers to quickly establish a working environment for integrating Okta's identity and access management capabilities into their applications.

Okta offers a Developer Edition that provides access to the core features of its Workforce Identity Cloud, suitable for testing and development purposes. This free tier allows developers to explore user management, authentication flows, and application integrations without immediate cost. Understanding the distinction between Workforce Identity Cloud and Customer Identity Cloud (Auth0) is important, as they cater to different identity use cases, with this guide primarily focusing on the former's developer experience.

The following table outlines the key steps to get started with Okta:

Create an account and get keys

To begin, you must create an Okta Developer Edition account. This account provides access to an Okta organization (often referred to as an "Okta org") where you can manage users, applications, and security policies. Navigate to the Okta Developer signup page and complete the registration process. You will receive an email to activate your account and set up your initial administrator credentials. During this process, you will be assigned a unique Okta organization URL, typically in the format https://dev-<your-id>.okta.com. This URL is crucial for all subsequent API interactions and console access.

Once your account is active and you have logged into your Okta Developer Console, the next step is to generate an API token. API tokens are used to authenticate your application's requests to the Okta API, ensuring that only authorized entities can perform actions like user creation or profile updates. To generate a token:

1. Log in to your Okta Developer Console.
2. In the left navigation pane, go to Security > API.
3. Select the Tokens tab.
4. Click Create Token.
5. Provide a descriptive name for your token (e.g., "My First API Token").
6. Click Create Token.

Okta will display the generated token. It is critical to copy this token immediately and store it securely, as it will not be displayed again. Treat API tokens like passwords; they grant significant control over your Okta organization. For production environments, consider using OAuth 2.0 and OpenID Connect for more robust and secure authentication flows, as recommended by the OAuth 2.0 specification for client applications.

Your first request

With your Okta organization URL and API token in hand, you can now make your first authenticated request to the Okta API. This example demonstrates how to list users in your Okta organization using a simple curl command. Replace <yourOktaOrgUrl> with your actual Okta organization URL (e.g., https://dev-123456.okta.com) and <yourApiToken> with the API token you generated.

curl -v -X GET \
  -H "Accept: application/json" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "Authorization: SSWS <yourApiToken>" \
  "<yourOktaOrgUrl>/api/v1/users"

This command performs an HTTP GET request to the /api/v1/users endpoint, which retrieves a list of all users in your Okta organization. The Authorization: SSWS <yourApiToken> header is essential for authenticating your request. The SSWS prefix indicates a private key (SSWS token) authentication method, which is commonly used for server-side applications and scripts interacting directly with the Okta API.

A successful response will return a JSON array containing user objects. If you haven't created any users yet, the array might be empty or contain only the initial administrator user. For example:

[
  {
    "id": "00u1a2b3c4d5e6f7g8h9",
    "status": "ACTIVE",
    "created": "2026-01-01T12:00:00.000Z",
    "profile": {
      "firstName": "Admin",
      "lastName": "User",
      "email": "[email protected]",
      "login": "[email protected]"
    },
    "_links": {
      "self": {
        "href": "https://dev-123456.okta.com/api/v1/users/00u1a2b3c4d5e6f7g8h9"
      }
    }
  }
]

This initial request confirms that your Okta organization is correctly set up, your API token is valid, and you can successfully communicate with the Okta API. For more complex interactions, Okta provides SDKs for various languages, including JavaScript, Python, Java, and Go, which abstract away the HTTP request details and offer higher-level methods for interacting with the API.

Common next steps

After successfully making your first API call, several common next steps can deepen your integration with Okta:

• Create and Manage Users: Explore the Users API to programmatically create new users, update user profiles, manage user groups, and handle password resets. This is fundamental for applications requiring user provisioning and lifecycle management.
• Integrate an Application: Add an application to your Okta organization. Okta supports various application types, including web, mobile, and single-page applications (SPAs). You can configure applications to use OpenID Connect or SAML for authentication. Refer to the Okta application integration guides for detailed instructions.
• Implement Authentication Flows: Integrate Okta's authentication features into your application. This often involves redirecting users to Okta for login and then handling the callback to receive identity tokens. Okta's SDKs simplify this process significantly.
• Explore Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Enhance security by enabling MFA for your users. Okta allows configuration of various MFA factors, such as Okta Verify, SMS, and email. The Factors API enables programmatic control over MFA enrollments.
• Utilize Webhooks: Set up webhooks to receive real-time notifications about events happening in your Okta organization, such as user creation, password changes, or application assignments. This allows your application to react dynamically to identity-related events. Information on configuring webhooks can be found in the Okta Event Hooks documentation.
• Explore Identity Governance: For enterprise scenarios, explore Okta Identity Governance to manage access requests, certifications, and entitlements. This product helps ensure compliance and control over who has access to which resources.

Troubleshooting the first call

Encountering issues during your first API call is common. Here are some troubleshooting tips:

• Incorrect Okta Organization URL: Double-check that your <yourOktaOrgUrl> is accurate and includes the https:// prefix. A common mistake is using the wrong domain or forgetting the dev-<id> portion.
• Invalid API Token: Ensure the API token in the Authorization header is correct and hasn't expired. If you suspect an issue, generate a new token from the Okta Developer Console (Security > API > Tokens) and retry. Remember to include the SSWS prefix before the token.
• Missing Headers: Verify that you have included both Accept: application/json and Content-Type: application/json headers. While GET requests might be more forgiving, these headers are crucial for consistent API interaction.
• Network Connectivity Issues: Confirm that your local environment has internet access and is not blocked by a firewall from reaching Okta's API endpoints.
• Rate Limiting: Okta APIs have rate limits. While unlikely for a first call, if you are rapidly retrying, you might temporarily hit these limits. Wait a moment and try again.
• CORS Errors: If you are making requests from a browser-based application, you might encounter Cross-Origin Resource Sharing (CORS) errors. For server-side API calls (like the curl example), this is not typically an issue. For client-side applications, you'll need to configure your Okta application's trusted origins in the Developer Console.
• Review Okta System Logs: The Okta Developer Console provides system logs under Reports > System Log. These logs can offer valuable insights into why an API request failed, including authentication failures or permission issues.
• Permissions: Ensure the API token has the necessary permissions. API tokens created through the console typically have broad administrative access, but if you're using a custom role or OAuth, verify the assigned scopes.