Authentication

Authenticate with the Product Hunt API using OAuth 2.0. Choose between user authentication for user-specific access or client-only authentication for public data.

Authentication methods

The Product Hunt API supports two OAuth 2.0 authentication flows:

User authentication - Get a token on behalf of a user to access user-specific data and perform actions on behalf of the user.
Client-only authentication - Get a token without user context for server-to-server integrations and public data access.

User authentication flow

User authentication allows your application to access user-specific data and perform actions on behalf of the user. This flow requires the user to grant permission.

Step 1: Request authorization

Redirect the user to the OAuth authorize endpoint:

https://api.producthunt.com/v2/oauth/authorize?
  client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID&
  redirect_uri=YOUR_REDIRECT_URI&
  response_type=code&
  scope=public+private

Parameter	Description
`client_id`	Your application's client ID from the API dashboard
`redirect_uri`	The URL where the user will be redirected after granting permission
`response_type`	Must be `code`
`scope`	Space-separated list of scopes: `public`, `private`, `write`

Step 2: Handle the redirect

After the user grants permission, they are redirected to your redirect_uri with an authorization code:

https://your-app.com/callback?code=AUTHORIZATION_CODE

Step 3: Exchange code for token

Exchange the authorization code for an access token by making a POST request to the token endpoint:

curl -X POST https://api.producthunt.com/v2/oauth/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID" \
  -d "client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET" \
  -d "code=AUTHORIZATION_CODE" \
  -d "grant_type=authorization_code"

The response includes your access token:

{
  "access_token": "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN",
  "token_type": "Bearer",
  "expires_in": 86400
}

Step 4: Use the token

Add the access token to the Authorization header of your API requests:

curl https://api.producthunt.com/v2/api/graphql \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"query": "{ viewer { id name } }"}'

Client-only authentication flow

Client-only authentication allows your application to access public data without user context. This is useful for server-to-server integrations and accessing public data before a user logs in.

Step 1: Request a client token

Make a POST request to the token endpoint with your client credentials:

curl -X POST https://api.producthunt.com/v2/oauth/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/x-www-form-urlencoded" \
  -d "client_id=YOUR_CLIENT_ID" \
  -d "client_secret=YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET" \
  -d "grant_type=client_credentials"

The response includes your access token:

{
  "access_token": "YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN",
  "token_type": "Bearer",
  "expires_in": 86400
}

Step 2: Use the token

Add the access token to the Authorization header of your API requests:

curl https://api.producthunt.com/v2/api/graphql \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"query": "{ products { edges { node { id name } } } }"}'

note

Client-only tokens only have access to public endpoints. You cannot access user-specific data with a client-only token.

Developer token

For quick scripts and testing, you can use a developer token. Developer tokens are linked to your account, don't expire, and can be used immediately without going through the OAuth flow.

To generate a developer token:

Visit the API dashboard.
Click Create an application.
Fill in your application details.
Copy your developer token.

Use the developer token in your API requests:

curl https://api.producthunt.com/v2/api/graphql \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_DEVELOPER_TOKEN" \
  -d '{"query": "{ viewer { id name } }"}'

API scopes

When requesting user authentication, you can request specific scopes to limit your application's access:

Scope	Description
`public`	Access public information on Product Hunt (default)
`private`	Access user-specific data like goals and preferences
`write`	Perform actions on behalf of the user

By default, all applications have the public scope. To request private or write access, contact hello@producthunt.com with details about your use case.

Error handling

If authentication fails, the API returns an error response:

{
  "errors": [
    {
      "message": "Invalid access token"
    }
  ]
}

Common authentication errors:

Error	Cause	Solution
Invalid access token	Token is expired or malformed	Generate a new token
Unauthorized	Token doesn't have required scope	Request additional scopes
Invalid client credentials	Client ID or secret is incorrect	Check your API dashboard

warning

Never commit your client secret or access tokens to version control. Use environment variables or a secrets manager to store sensitive credentials.