# How to apply for an API App ID

**URL:** <https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171>\
**Category:** General\
**Tags:** question\
**Created:** [November 30, 2023, 11:23am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171 "2023-11-30T11:23:29Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![peterswart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/peterswart/32/8737_2.png) [@peterswart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/peterswart)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 11:23am UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171/1 "2023-11-30T11:23:29Z")

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Hi, I want to download my observations from the API, but I also want to see the actual locations, not the obscured versions. The Doc say I must apply for permission to create an API so I can validate via oauth.

QUESTION: How do I apply? When I click the button to apply, I get to the screen that says I must apply, but then cannot go any further.

Thanks  
Peter

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![jwidness](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9d8465/32.png) [@jwidness](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/jwidness)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 2:51pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171/2 "2023-11-30T14:51:38Z")

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Welcome to the forum!

You don’t actually need an app to get your observations with true locations from the API.

Here’s an example for how to do it with python:

```
import requests

# authorization token comes from https://www.inaturalist.org/users/api_token
# must be logged in to get it, expires after 24 hrs

response = requests.get(
    'https://api.inaturalist.org/v1/observations?user_id=peterswart', 
    headers={'Authorization': 'eyJhXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXABC'}    
)

```

The true coordinates are in a field called `private_location`.

If you do still want to apply for app ownership, it looks like your account doesn’t meet the requirement for 10 improving IDs in the last month. Once you meet that requirement, you can access the form.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![pisum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/91b2a8/32.png) [@pisum](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/pisum)\
**Post date:** [November 30, 2023, 3:35pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171/3 "2023-11-30T15:35:31Z")

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> [@peterswart](#):
>
> I want to download my observations from the API

the basic iNaturalist observation CSV export does provide actual locations. is there a particular reason you want to use the API instead?

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![peterswart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/peterswart/32/8737_2.png) [@peterswart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/peterswart)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 2:46pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171/4 "2023-12-01T14:46:02Z")

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Adding the Authorization key to the headers works!  
I can now see my private locations.  
Thanks for the help.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![peterswart](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.inaturalist.org/peterswart/32/8737_2.png) [@peterswart](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/peterswart)\
**Post date:** [December 1, 2023, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171/5 "2023-12-01T14:48:01Z")

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I am lazy, and do not want to have to download the data each time I need a new data set. I am analyzing the data in Qlik Sense. Using the above solution, I can use the REST connector in Qlik to get my obsured locations.  
Thanks all.  
Problem solved.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/inaturalist/original/2X/7/7831452cf7f0d653ff1ffd34176334b7ef1b6a17.png) [@system](https://forum.inaturalist.org/u/system)\
**Post date:** [January 30, 2024, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/how-to-apply-for-an-api-app-id/47171/6 "2024-01-30T14:48:22Z")

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Closed on January 30, 2024, 2:48pm UTC

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