Programmatic Identity Management with Okta APIs

Create API tokens and develop Python scripts to automate identity operations, demonstrating programmatic access to users and groups through Okta's RESTful API.

Objective

Establish secure API access to Okta and develop automation scripts that programmatically retrieve user and group data, demonstrating the foundation for building custom identity management tools and integrations.

Technologies Used

Component Purpose
Okta Management API RESTful API for identity operations
API Tokens (SSWS) Service account authentication
Python 3 Scripting language for automation
Requests Library HTTP client for API calls
cURL Command-line API testing
JSON Data interchange format

Configuration Steps

Section 6.1: Creating an API Token

Generate an API token for programmatic access to Okta's Management API.

Navigate to Security → API → Tokens and click Create token:

1.png

Token Configuration:

Field Value
Token Name ZTS-Automation
Purpose Automation scripts and API access
IP Restriction (Optional) Limit to specific IPs

Security Note: API tokens inherit the permissions of the administrator who creates them. Store tokens securely and never commit them to version control.

Section 6.2: Verifying Token Creation

Confirm the API token is active and review its properties.