unleash.unleash/website/docs/how-to/how-to-use-the-admin-api.md

---
title: How to use the Admin API
---

This guide explains the steps required to getting access to and using the Admin API.

## Step 1: Create API token {#step-1-create-api-token}

You'll need either an [admin token](../reference/api-tokens-and-client-keys.mdx#admin-tokens) or a [personal access token](../reference/api-tokens-and-client-keys.mdx#personal-access-tokens) for this to work. To create one, follow the steps in the [_how to create API tokens_](../how-to/how-to-create-api-tokens.mdx) guide or the [_how to create personal access tokens_](./how-to-create-personal-access-tokens.mdx) guide, respectively.

Please note that it may take up to 60 seconds for the new key to propagate to all Unleash instances due to eager caching.

:::note

If you need an API token to use in a client SDK you should create a "client token" as these have fewer access rights.

:::

## Step 2: Use Admin API {#step-2-use-admin-api}

Now that you have an access token with admin privileges we can use that to perform changes in our Unleash instance.

In the example below we will use the [Unleash Admin API](/reference/api/legacy/unleash/admin/features.md) to enable the “Demo” feature flag using curl.

```sh
curl -X POST -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
     -H "Authorization: some-token" \
     https://app.unleash-hosted.com/demo/api/admin/features/Demo/toggle/on
```

**Great success!** We have now enabled the feature flag. We can also verify that it was actually changed by the API user by navigating to [Event Log](/reference/events#event-log) and filtering events for this feature flag.

![Feature flag events showing that it was last updated by "admin-api".](/img/api_access_history.png)

## API overview {#api-overview}

You can find the full documentation on everything the Unleash API supports in the [Unleash API documentation](/reference/api/legacy/unleash/admin/features.md).