200-901 Application Deployment and Security Practice Question
A developer is using the Cisco Meraki Dashboard API to retrieve the list of organizations associated with an API key. The script must handle the response and avoid exposing the API key. Which HTTP header should be used to supply the API key?
⚠ Common exam trap
The trap here is assuming all Cisco APIs use the same authentication header, when Meraki uses a platform-specific API key header.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key: <API_KEY>
The Meraki Dashboard API authenticates each request with the X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header. Placing the key in a header rather than a URL keeps it out of server logs and browser history. Other header names belong to different Cisco platforms or authentication schemes and would not authenticate against Meraki.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Cookie: meraki_api_key=<API_KEY>
Why it's wrong here
The Meraki Dashboard API does not accept the API key as a cookie. Cookies are not part of the documented authentication scheme and would not authenticate the request. This approach also risks the key being logged or stored by intermediaries that handle cookies.
- ✓
X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key: <API_KEY>
Why this is correct
The Meraki Dashboard API authenticates requests with the X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header containing the API key. Supplying it in this header keeps the key out of the URL and query string. The endpoint for listing organizations then returns the organizations the key is authorized to access.
- ✗
Authorization: Bearer <API_KEY>
Why it's wrong here
The Meraki Dashboard API expects the API key in a dedicated header, not as a bearer token in the Authorization header. Sending a bearer token would not authenticate the request and would result in an error response. Bearer tokens are used by other APIs but not by Meraki's Dashboard API.
- ✗
X-Auth-Token: <API_KEY>
Why it's wrong here
X-Auth-Token is used by Cisco DNA Center after a token is obtained from its authentication endpoint, not by the Meraki Dashboard API. Sending a Meraki API key in this header would not authenticate the request. Using the wrong header results in an unauthorized response.
Go deeper
Related to this question
About these practice questions
This 200-901 question is part of Courseiva's 975-question bank — original exam-style content with full explanations and wrong-answer analysis, never real exam questions or exam dumps. Learn why practice questions differ from exam dumps →
JA
Written and reviewed by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
Last reviewed September 2026 · checked against the official Cisco exam blueprint
This 200-901 practice question is part of Courseiva's free Cisco certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the 200-901 exam.