200-901 Infrastructure and Automation Practice Question
An organization wants to automate the deployment of wireless configurations across multiple Meraki networks using the Meraki Dashboard API. What authentication method should the developer use in the API requests?
⚠ Common exam trap
Cisco often tests the misconception that all REST APIs use OAuth2 or Basic Auth, but the Meraki API specifically uses a custom header-based API key, which candidates may overlook in favor of more common authentication methods.
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
✓
Include an API key in the X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header
The Meraki Dashboard API uses a simple API key for authentication, not OAuth2 or JWT. The key must be included in the `X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key` header of every request. This is the only supported method for authenticating with the Meraki API, as documented by Cisco 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.
- ✗
Provide username and password in the Authorization header with Basic auth
Why it's wrong here
Basic auth is not supported; API keys are used.
- ✗
Use OAuth2 client credentials grant and pass a bearer token
Why it's wrong here
Meraki does not support OAuth2; it uses API keys.
- ✓
Include an API key in the X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header
Why this is correct
Meraki API uses a static API key in the request header for authentication.
- ✗
Generate a JSON Web Token (JWT) signed with a shared secret
Why it's wrong here
Meraki does not use JWT; the API key is a simple string.
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