This topic describes how to create an AccessKey pair for an Alibaba Cloud account or a RAM user. When you call API operations, you must use an AccessKey pair to complete identity verification.

An AccessKey pair consists of an AccessKey ID and an AccessKey secret.
  • The AccessKey ID is used to identify a user.
  • The AccessKey secret is used to encrypt and verify the signature string. You must keep your AccessKey secret strictly confidential.
Warning If the AccessKey pair of your Alibaba Cloud account is leaked, the security of all your resources will be compromised. We recommend that you use the AccessKey pair of a RAM user to call API operations. This minimizes the risks of leaking the AccessKey pair of your Alibaba Cloud account.

For more information, see Obtain an AccessKey pair.