---
title: Creating a Maps identifier and a private key
framework: applemapsserverapi
role: article
role_heading: Article
path: applemapsserverapi/creating-a-maps-identifier-and-a-private-key
---

# Creating a Maps identifier and a private key

Create a Maps identifier and a private key before generating tokens for MapKit JS.

## Overview

Overview MapKit JS uses a token to authenticate map initializations and other API requests. Before you can create a token, you need a Maps identifier (Maps ID) and private key that’s associated with a Maps ID. You create a Maps ID and private keys through your Apple Developer Account. After you complete the steps to obtain these items you can construct a token and sign it with your private key, as Creating and using tokens with Maps Server API describes. Create a Maps ID A Maps ID is a string that you provide to identify a domain or environment that calls the MapKit JS API. Maps IDs use reverse-domain-style notation with three or four fields separated by a dot. The first field must be maps; the remainder of this string can be a name that’s meaningful to you. For example, your string might resemble maps.com.mywebsite or maps.com.mycompany.mywebsite. To create a Maps ID, follow these steps: Go to Apple Developer Account and log in with your Apple Developer credentials. Under Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, click Identifiers in the sidebar. At the top of the identifiers list, click the Add Identifiers button (+). On the following page, select the Maps IDs checkbox, and then click the Continue button at the top of the page. Enter a string for the description. This can be your app name, team name, project name, or anything that conveys context and is meaningful to you. Enter a reverse-domain-style string for the identifier (for example, maps.com.mycompany.mywebsite), then click Continue. Review the information, then click Register. If you have multiple environments, such as a development environment and a production environment, it’s good practice to create separate Maps IDs and keys for each environment. That way, if a key you use in production becomes compromised, revoking it doesn’t affect your UAT or test environments. Obtain a MapKit JS private key After you create a Maps ID, the next steps are to create a private key, add the MapKit JS service to this key, and associate it with a Maps ID: In Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles, click Keys in the sidebar, then click the Keys + button at the top of the keys list. Under Key Name, enter a unique name for the key. Below that, select the checkbox next to MapKit JS. Note that the MapKit JS checkbox isn’t in an enabled state until you create a Maps ID. Near the top right of the page, click Configure. On the next page, choose a Maps ID to associate to this key from the pop-up menu, then click Save. Click Continue, review the key configuration, then click Register. Optionally, click Download to download the key. The private key is available to download a single time. If the Download button isn’t in an enabled state, you previously downloaded the key associated with this identifier. Click Done. After executing these steps, you have a private key that you can use to sign tokens, and you can begin Creating and using tokens with Maps Server API. important: The private key is a shared secret between you and Apple. To keep your private key secure, don’t put your private key in public facing client-side code, and don’t share the key. The private key doesn’t expire, but you can revoke it. Revoking a key makes it invalid and affects calls to the MapKit JS API. If you lose a key or if someone else starts using your key, revoke it. See Revoke, edit, and download keys for more information.

## See Also

### Essentials

- [Creating and using tokens with Maps Server API](applemapsserverapi/creating-and-using-tokens-with-maps-server-api.md)
- [Generate a Maps token](applemapsserverapi/-v1-token.md)
- [Debugging an Invalid token](applemapsserverapi/debugging-an-invalid-token.md)
- [Common objects](applemapsserverapi/common-objects.md)
- [Integrating the Apple Maps Server API into Java server applications](applemapsserverapi/integrating-the-apple-maps-server-api-into-java-server-applications.md)