## General Concepts The following concepts are the same for every endpoint in the API except when it is noted explicitly. ### Auth Manipulating data on a CARTO account requires prior authentication using a unique identifier as a password. For the import API, a special identifier known as the API Key is used as a proof of authentication for each user account to authorize access to its data. To execute an authorized request, `api_key=YOURAPIKEY` should be added to the request URL. This parameter can be also passed as a POST parameter. We **strongly advise** using HTTPS when you are performing requests that include your `api_key`. --- ### Errors Errors are reported using standard HTTP codes and extended information encoded in the HTML language, as shown in the following example: ```html 411 Length Required

411 Length Required

nginx ``` Depending on the specific case, additional information regarding the error may be presented. See support section for details about known error codes and solutions.