An AccessKey pair is similar to a pair of username and password. An AccessKey pair is used to call an operation of an Alibaba Cloud service, whereas the username and password are used to log on to the console. If you do not need to call an operation, an AccessKey pair is not required.

Background information

With an AccessKey pair, you can initiate an API request or use a cloud service SDK to manage your resources. 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 verify a user. You must keep your AccessKey secret strictly confidential.
Note Do not use the AccessKey pair of your Alibaba Cloud account. If the AccessKey pair is leaked, the security of all your resources is threatened. We recommend that you use the AccessKey pair of a RAM user to reduce security risk.

Procedure

  1. Log on to the RAM console by using an Alibaba Cloud account.
  2. In the left-side navigation pane, click Users under Identities.
  3. On the Users page, click the username of the RAM user for which you want to create an AccessKey pair in the User Logon Name/Display Name column.
  4. On the page that appears, click Create AccessKey in the User AccessKeys section.
    Note You must enter a verification code if you create an AccessKey pair for the first time.
  5. Click Close.
    Note
    • The AccessKey secret is displayed only when you create an AccessKey pair and cannot be queried after the AccessKey is created. We recommend that you save the AccessKey secret for subsequent use.
    • If the AccessKey pair is leaked or lost, you must create a new one. You can create a maximum of two AccessKey pairs.