> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.scanoss.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> How to authenticate the scanoss.py Python SDK with an API key and configure a custom API endpoint.

## Default Behaviour

By default, the `Scanner` class connects to the SCANOSS OSS Knowledge Base API
(OSSKB API) at `https://api.osskb.org` without requiring authentication.

## Using an API Key

To authenticate with a SCANOSS API key, pass it as the `api_key` argument to
the `Scanner` constructor. You can obtain an API key from your SCANOSS account
dashboard.

```python theme={null}
from scanoss.scanner import Scanner
from scanoss.scanoss_settings import ScanossSettings

def main():
    scanner = Scanner(
        api_key='your_api_key',
        scanoss_settings=ScanossSettings(),
    )
    scanner.scan_folder_with_options('/path/to/project')

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
```

> **Note:** `ScanossSettings()` is required by the `Scanner` constructor and
> holds the scan configuration. See [ScanossSettings](/reference/scanoss-settings)
> for available options.

## Using a Custom API Endpoint

To direct the SDK to a different API endpoint, pass the `url` argument:

```python theme={null}
from scanoss.scanner import Scanner
from scanoss.scanoss_settings import ScanossSettings

def main():
    scanner = Scanner(
        url='https://your-custom-api-url',
        scanoss_settings=ScanossSettings(),
    )
    scanner.scan_folder_with_options('/path/to/project')

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
```

## Using an API Key with a Custom Endpoint

Both arguments can be combined:

```python theme={null}
from scanoss.scanner import Scanner
from scanoss.scanoss_settings import ScanossSettings

def main():
    scanner = Scanner(
        url='https://your-custom-api-url',
        api_key='your_api_key',
        scanoss_settings=ScanossSettings(),
    )
    scanner.scan_folder_with_options('/path/to/project')

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()
```