topic Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API in ArcGIS API for Python Questions

Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

simoxu — Wed, 14 Mar 2018 05:59:39 GMT

Hello folks,

Can anyone give me a clue how to access token using ArcGIS Python API?

I believe a token was generated when instantiating the GIS class as follows:

from arcgis.gis import GIS

gis=GIS(url="https://...",username="",password="")

I thought the token should be stored somewhere in the gis object, I looked up and down the list of properties and methods but nowhere can I find it.

Any advices and suggestions are highly appreciated.

Thanks

Simo

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

JakeSkinner — Sun, 12 Dec 2021 10:59:26 GMT

Hi Simo,

Yes you can find this with the following:

import arcgis
from arcgis.gis import GIS
gis = GIS("https://www.arcgis.com", "jskinner_CountySandbox", "*****")
token = gis._con.token
print(token)‍‍‍‍‍

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

simoxu — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 01:06:25 GMT

Hi Jake,

That works! Thanks a lot.

Simo

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

RohitSingh2 — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 01:09:06 GMT

Hi Simo,

Would you mind sharing why you need access to the token though? Is there something in the API or your workflow that needs access to this token?

Thanks,

Rohit

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

simoxu — Thu, 15 Mar 2018 22:46:17 GMT

Hi Rohit,

I am migrating some code built roughly 3 years ago using ArcREST. In one piece of the code, I need to download the data in the feature service(create Replica) and save the data in a local database.

As you know, the replica will be stored in AGO organization as the following:

http://services1.arcgis.com/pdfadfdafkkllADFAA/ArcGIS/rest/services/RIASP22015/FeatureServer/replicafiles/4e70a029d5b742508d33ca2efb87ca29.zip

To download the zip file and unzip it, I need a token to access AGO organization. This was required in my old code, and I am doing a like for like migration at the moment.

Hope this explains it.

Cheers,

Simo

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

JakeSkinner — Fri, 16 Mar 2018 11:51:22 GMT

Hi Simo,

Just an FYI, you can use the following tool to download your data:

https://community.esri.com/docs/DOC-6496-download-arcgis-online-feature-service-or-arcgis-server-featuremap-service

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

simoxu — Sun, 18 Mar 2018 22:22:15 GMT

Thank you Jake.

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

AllisonMuise2 — Tue, 19 Oct 2021 22:17:49 GMT

@RohitSingh2 are there any plans to add the ability to access & download replicas directly through the Python API? I am running into this same issue as @simoxu . The Python API can get us so close, but then to need to use requests to get the path to the output is a bit disappointing. The API has spoiled us by making most of these actions so easy!

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

DCWORK_GIS — Wed, 29 Nov 2023 18:39:05 GMT

I know this is an old post, but I'm wondering if there is a newer convention for accessing the authentication token? I've been using:

gis = GIS("home")
print("Token: " + str(gis._con.token))

which worked up until our org updated to 3.2 from 2.9, but doesn't work anymore - gis._con.token now returns 'None', whereas previously would return the token string.

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

sredar — Wed, 13 Dec 2023 17:30:44 GMT

Try this, you will have to import the arcpy module,

token = (arcpy.GetSigninToken())['token']

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

DCWORK_GIS — Tue, 19 Dec 2023 05:04:49 GMT

That does work, but in my case, my goal is to use this script, and others like it in AGOL Notebooks, and my org doesn't pay for ArcPy there. So I'm limited to only using the API for Python.

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

sredar — Thu, 21 Dec 2023 23:36:07 GMT

What the heck, now I am getting the same thing you are with

token = gis._con.token

Its returns None and just yesterday it worked

In a Notebook it does works but it no longer my in local IDE.

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

DCWORK_GIS — Fri, 22 Dec 2023 02:21:19 GMT

But yesterday it did? That's really weird. I noticed it after we upgraded from 2.7 to 3.2, but maybe it's something else. ESRI's been non-responsive about the issue. Maybe it's a bug.

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

sredar — Tue, 26 Dec 2023 17:49:29 GMT

The issue appears to be related to how you access the 'gis', this works:

gis = arcgis.GIS(url='https://{org}.maps.arcgis.com/', username=user, password=pswrd)

token = gis._con.token

this does not:

gis = arcgis.GIS("pro")

token = gis._con.token

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

vpelleritoCritigen — Wed, 03 Jan 2024 16:30:28 GMT

This is bad... Now, even though the user is logged into the Portal in Pro, you must pass those same credentials hardcoded in your Python script.
Thanks, @sredar for discovering this.

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

JRhodes — Wed, 20 Mar 2024 23:07:45 GMT

Same issue here. @sredar's workaround is great for my current project (thanks), but there are lots of other cases where arcpy isn't available and I need to get an access token from the GIS object.

Re: Get the token using ArcGIS Python API

Matthew_Muehlhauser — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 12:07:36 GMT

This is another option for getting the token without needing to store the credentials in the script, but it does require some initial setup on the computer that you plan to run the process on because you need to create a profile that will be used for all your future scripts.1st Run:

gis = GIS("https://www.arcgis.com/", "USERNAME", "PASSWORD", profile="profile_name")

Future Runs:

gis = GIS(profile="profile_name")

With this, you should be able to access the token using gis._con.token

Note: The credentials should be stored at

Control Panel\User Accounts\Manage your Credentials\Windows Credentials

Update: The GIS module now supports getting the token

gis.session.auth.token