I tend to use an api_key, because it's easier to manage. I'll setup a route to authenticate, where I'll use basic auth to return an api_key, and the remainder o

I tend to use an api_key, because it's easier to manage. I'll setup a route to authenticate, where I'll use basic auth to return an api_key, and the remainder of the api either requires an api_key or no authentication at all. For Rails developers, Ryan Bates does a great job of explaining a few ways to secure your api. http://railscasts.com/episodes/352-securing-an-api http://railscasts.com/episodes/352-securing-an-api