> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.brightdata.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Send Your First Unlocker API Request

> Send your first request using Bright Data Web Unlocker API (98% success rate) with step-by-step guidance, request breakdowns and real-world code examples.

## Make your first request in minutes

Once your Unlocker API is created, you can begin unlocking websites immediately. This guide walks you through sending your **first successful request**, explains the available access methods, and provides ready-to-use examples.

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Postman Example" icon="user-astronaut" iconType="regular" href="https://www.postman.com/bright-data-api/bright-data-api/request/f0g939o/unlock-website" cta="Try Unlocker API in less than 1 minute" />

  <Card title="Node.js Example" icon="code" iconType="regular" href="https://github.com/luminati-io/bright-data-web-unlocker-nodejs-project" cta="Try Unlocker API in less than 2 minutes" />

  <Card title="Python Example" icon="code" iconType="regular" href="https://github.com/luminati-io/bright-data-web-unlocker-python-project" cta="Try Unlocker API in less than 5 minutes" />
</CardGroup>

## Choose an access method

Bright Data provides **two ways** to access the Web Unlocker API. Both methods return **identical results**, but are optimized for different workflows.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Direct API access (recommended)" href="/scraping-automation/web-unlocker/send-your-first-request#direct-api-access-recommended">
    A pure REST API method for easy access and straightforward integration.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Native proxy-based access" href="/scraping-automation/web-unlocker/send-your-first-request#native-proxy-based-access">
    For workflows that rely on proxy-based routing.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Direct API access (recommended)

A simple and RESTful way to interact with Bright Data’s Web Unlocker API. Direct API access abstracts proxy management and allows you to send requests via a central endpoint, ensuring ease of use and straightforward REST API integration.

### When to use direct API access

* **Centralized endpoint:** Access Web Unlocker API via a single, RESTful endpoint.
* **Streamlined direct integration:** Eliminating the complexity of managing proxies or routing.
* **Single API key authentication:** Secure and easy to use, replacing the need for username-password management.

### Sending your first request

After [setting up](/scraping-automation/web-unlocker/quickstart) your Web Unlocker API zone, you can find:

* Your **API key**
* A ready-to-use request example
* Your **zone name**

in the **Overview** tab of your Unlocker API zone.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/brightdata/IooCNQechjlieLKk/images/scraping-automation/web-unlocker/send-first-request/web_unlocker_api_overview.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=IooCNQechjlieLKk&q=85&s=23789d71308a3b955bc8b9395971cf64" alt="Web Unlocker API Overview tab" width="1345" height="629" data-path="images/scraping-automation/web-unlocker/send-first-request/web_unlocker_api_overview.png" />
</Frame>

The following is an example of a simple Web Unlocker API cURL request:

```sh Direct API access - cURL theme={null}
curl -H "Content-Type: application/json" -H "Authorization: Bearer [INSERT_YOUR_API_KEY]" -d "{\"zone\": \"[INSERT_YOUR_WEB_UNLOCKER_ZONE_NAME]\", \"url\": \"[INSERT_YOUR_TARGET_URL]\", \"format\": \"raw\", \"body\": \"{\\\"key\\\":\\\"value\\\"}\"}" https://api.brightdata.com/request
```

### Request breakdown

1. API Endpoint: [`https://api.brightdata.com/request`](https://api.brightdata.com/request)
2. Authorization Header: `Authorization: Bearer [INSERT YOUR API key]`
   * Your API key is found within your Web Unlocker API zone.
3. Payload:
   * `zone`: Your specific Web Unlocker API **zone name**.
   * `url`: The target URL you wish to access via Web Unlocker API.
   * `format`: Defines the response format. Use `raw` to receive the raw response from the target site.
   * \[Optional] `body`: Specifies the raw POST payload sent to the target URL. e.g. `"body": "{\"key\":\"value\"}"`

### Generating your Bright Data API key

A Bright Data API key is your secure authentication token for accessing Web Unlocker API via Direct API access. When adding a new Web Unlocker API zone in the [control panel](https://brightdata.com/cp/zones), an API key will be generated automatically and can be found within the **Overview** tab of your zone.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/brightdata/IooCNQechjlieLKk/images/scraping-automation/web-unlocker/send-first-request/web_unlocker_api_token.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=IooCNQechjlieLKk&q=85&s=6d036b0709c39984ada4ffac4dd3e0be" alt="Web Unlocker API key" width="1345" height="629" data-path="images/scraping-automation/web-unlocker/send-first-request/web_unlocker_api_token.png" />
</Frame>

**To generate a new API key:**

* Navigate to [Account settings](https://brightdata.com/cp/setting/users).
* Scroll down and click the Add API key button.
* Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the process.

<Tip>
  We strongly recommend having an expiration date set on your API key for increased security.
</Tip>

<Warning>
  The API key will be shown to you on the screen **only** so make sure you copy and store it in a safe location per your organization's policies
</Warning>

## Native proxy-based access

Proxy-based access is designed for workflows that already use proxy routing. Instead of a REST endpoint, requests are sent through Bright Data’s super proxy.

### Which credentials are required

In order to access Web Unlocker, you will need to provide credentials which are comprised of:

1. **Your customer ID**
2. **Your Web Unlocker API zone name**
3. **Your Web Unlocker API password**
4. **Bright Data SSL certificate**

### Where to find your customer ID

Customer ID can be found in the welcome email you received, or by clicking your account initial letter on the top right screen of your control panel, or by clicking here: [Account settings](https://brightdata.com/cp/setting/customer_details) .

### Zone name and password

Your zone name and password can be found in the overview tab of your unlocker zone in the control panel.

### Bright Data SSL Certificate

<Warning>
  Prevent SSL errors by setting up Bright Data SSL certificate
</Warning>

SSL Certificate can be found by clicking "SSL certificate" wizard on your zone's overview top menu. See further instructions here:  [SSL certificate](/general/account/ssl-certificate#download-the-ssl-certificate).

Alternatively, you can  [ignore SSL errors](/general/account/ssl-certificate#how-to-ignore-ssl-errors%3F).

### Web Unlocker API: HTTPS Proxy code examples

Once you have your credentials, use the following code to send your first request:

<Accordion title="Expand for code examples">
  <CodeGroup>
    ```sh cURL theme={null}
    curl "http://brdtest.com/myip.json" --proxy brd.superproxy.io:33335 --proxy-user brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>:<zone_password>
    ```

    ```javascript Node.js theme={null}
    #!/usr/bin/env node

    require("request-promise")({
      url: "http://brdtest.com/myip.json",
      proxy: "http://brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>:<zone_password>@brd.superproxy.io:33335",
    })

      .then(
        function (data) {
          console.log(data);
        },

        function (err) {
          console.error(err);
        },
      );
    ```

    ```python Python theme={null}
    import pprint
    import requests

    host = 'brd.superproxy.io'  
    port = 33335
    username = 'brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>'
    password = '<zone_password>'
    proxy_url = f'http://{username}:{password}@{host}:{port}'
    proxies = {
      'http': proxy_url,
      'https': proxy_url
    }

    url = "http://brdtest.com/myip.json"

    response = requests.get(url, proxies=proxies)
    pprint.pprint(response.json())
    ```

    ```php php theme={null}
    <?php

    echo 'To enable your free eval account and get CUSTOMER, YOURZONE and YOURPASS, please contact sales@brightdata.com';

    $curl = curl_init('http://brdtest.com/myip.json');
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_PROXY, 'http://brd.superproxy.io:33335');
    curl_setopt($curl, CURLOPT_PROXYUSERPWD, 'brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>:<zone_password>');
    curl_exec($curl);
    ?> 
    ```

    ```ruby Ruby theme={null}
    #!/usr/bin/ruby

    require 'uri'
    require 'net/http'
    require 'net/https'

    puts 'To enable your free eval account and get CUSTOMER, YOURZONE and YOURPASS, please contact sales@brightdata.com'

    uri = URI.parse('http://brdtest.com/myip.json')
    proxy = Net::HTTP::Proxy('brd.superproxy.io', 33335, 'brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>', '<zone_password>')
    req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
    result = proxy.start(uri.host,uri.port, :use_ssl  => uri.scheme == 'https') do |http|

    http.request(req)

    end

    puts result.body
    ```

    ```cs C# theme={null}
    using System;
    using System.Net;
    class Example {
      static void Main() {
        var client = new WebClient();
        client.Proxy = new WebProxy("brd.superproxy.io:33335");
        client.Proxy.Credentials = new NetworkCredential(
          "brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>",
          "<zone_password>"
        );

        Console.WriteLine(client.DownloadString("http://brdtest.com/myip.json"));
      }
    }
    ```

    ```java Java theme={null}

    package example;
    import org.apache.http.HttpHost;
    import org.apache.http.client.fluent.*;

    public  class Example {
      public  static  void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
        System.out.println(
          "To enable your free eval account and get "
          +"CUSTOMER, YOURZONE and YOURPASS, please contact "
          +"sales@brightdata.com"
        );

        HttpHost proxy = new HttpHost("brd.superproxy.io", 33335);

        String res = Executor.newInstance()
          .auth(proxy, "brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>", "<zone_password>")
          .execute(Request.Get("http://brdtest.com/myip.json").viaProxy(proxy))
          .returnContent().asString();

        System.out.println(res);
      }
    }
    ```

    ```perl Perl theme={null}

    #!/usr/bin/perl
    print 'To enable your free eval account and get CUSTOMER, YOURZONE and '
    .'YOURPASS, please contact sales@brightdata.com';

    use LWP::UserAgent;
    my  $agent = LWP::UserAgent->new();

    $agent->proxy(['http', 'https'], "http://brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>:<zone_password>\@brd.superproxy.io:33335");
    print  $agent->get('http://brdtest.com/myip.json')->content();

    ```

    ```vb VBA theme={null}
    Imports System.Net
    Module Module1

    Sub Main()

    Console.WriteLine("To enable your free eval account and get " &
    "CUSTOMER, YOURZONE and YOURPASS, please contact " &
    "sales@brightdata.com")

    Dim Client As  New WebClient
    Client.Proxy = New WebProxy("http://brd.superproxy.io:33335")
    Client.Proxy.Credentials = New NetworkCredential("brd-customer-<customer_id>-zone-<zone_name>", "<zone_password>")
    Console.WriteLine(Client.DownloadString("http://brdtest.com/myip.json"))
    End Sub
    End Module
    ```
  </CodeGroup>

  The code above uses the residential proxy to send a request to [http://brdtest.com/myip.json](http://brdtest.com/myip.json). It returns your IP information in a JSON format:

  ```json Output theme={null}
  {
    "ip": "ALLOCATED_IP",
    "country": "PK",
    "asn": {
      "asnum": 203020,
      "org_name": "HostRoyale Technologies Pvt Ltd"
    },
    "geo": {
      "city": "Islamabad",
      "region": "IS",
      "region_name": "Islamabad",
      "postal_code": "44040",
      "latitude": 33.7233,
      "longitude": 73.0435,
      "tz": "Asia/Karachi",
      "lum_city": "islamabad",
      "lum_region": "is"
    }
  }
  ```

  Now, replace “[https://brdtest.com/myip.json”](https://brdtest.com/myip.json”) with the website of your choice.
</Accordion>