---
layout: api
page_title: Consul - Secrets Engines - HTTP API
description: This is the API documentation for the Vault Consul secrets engine.
---

# Consul secrets engine (API)

@include 'x509-sha1-deprecation.mdx'

@include 'consul-dataplane-compat.mdx'

This is the API documentation for the Vault Consul secrets engine. For general
information about the usage and operation of the Consul secrets engine, please
see the [Vault Consul documentation](/vault/docs/secrets/consul).

This documentation assumes the Consul secrets engine is enabled at the `/consul`
path in Vault. Since it is possible to enable secrets engines at any location,
please update your API calls accordingly.

## Configure access

This endpoint configures the access information for Consul. This access
information is used so that Vault can communicate with Consul and generate
Consul tokens.

| Method | Path                    |
| :----- | :---------------------- |
| `POST` | `/consul/config/access` |

### Parameters

- `address` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the address of the Consul
  instance, provided as `"host:port"` like `"127.0.0.1:8500"`.

- `scheme` `(string: "http")` – Specifies the URL scheme to use.

- `token` `(string: "")` – Specifies the Consul ACL token to use. This
  must be a management type token. If this is not provided, Vault will try to
  bootstrap the ACL system of the Consul cluster automatically.

- `ca_cert` `(string: "")` - CA certificate to use when verifying Consul server certificate,
  must be x509 PEM encoded.

- `client_cert` `(string: "")` - Client certificate used for Consul's TLS communication,
  must be x509 PEM encoded and if this is set you need to also set client_key.

- `client_key` `(string: "")` - Client key used for Consul's TLS communication,
  must be x509 PEM encoded and if this is set you need to also set client_cert.

### Sample payload

```json
{
  "address": "127.0.0.1:8500",
  "scheme": "https",
  "token": "adha..."
}
```

### Sample request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --request POST \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    --data @payload.json \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/consul/config/access
```

## Create/Update role

This endpoint creates or updates the Consul role definition. If the role does
not exist, it will be created. If the role already exists, it will receive
updated attributes. At least one of `consul_policies`, `consul_roles`,
`service_identities`, or `node_identities` is required depending on the
Consul version.

| Method | Path                  |
| :----- | :-------------------- |
| `POST` | `/consul/roles/:name` |

### Parameters for consul versions 1.11 and above

- `partition` `(string: "")` - Specifies the Consul admin partition in which the token is generated.
  The partition must exist, and the Consul policies or roles assigned to the
  Vault role must also exist inside the given partition. If not provided, the partition `default`
  is used.

To create a client token within a particular Consul admin partition:

```json
{
  "partition": "admin1"
}
```

### Parameters for consul versions 1.8 and above

- `node_identities` `(list: <node identity or identities>)` - The list of node identities to assign to the generated
  token. This may be a comma-separated list to attach multiple node identities to a token.

To create a client token with node identities attached:

```json
{
  "node_identities": [
      "client-1:dc1",
      "client-2:dc1"
    ]
}
```

### Parameters for consul versions 1.7 and above

- `consul_namespace` `(string: "")` - Specifies the Consul namespace in which the token is generated.
  The namespace must exist, and the Consul policies or roles assigned to the Vault role must also exist
  inside the given Consul namespace. If not provided, the namespace `default` is used.

To create a client token within a particular Consul namespace:

```json
{
  "consul_namespace": "ns1"
}
```

### Parameters for consul version 1.5 and above

- `service_identities` `(list: <service identity or identities>)` - The list of service identities to assign to the generated
  token. This may be a comma-separated list to attach multiple service identities to a token.

- `consul_roles` `(list: <role or roles>)` – The list of Consul roles to attach to the
  token generated by Vault.

  To create a client token with roles defined in Consul:

### Sample payload

```json
{
  "consul_roles": "role-a,role-b"
}
```

To create a client token with service identities attached:

```json
{
  "service_identities": [
      "myservice-1:dc1,dc2",
      "myservice-2:dc1"
    ]
}
```

### Parameters for consul versions 1.4 and above

- `name` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the name of an existing role against
  which to create this Consul credential. This is part of the request URL.

- `token_type` <sup>DEPRECATED (1.11)</sup> `(string: "client")` - Specifies the type of token to create
  when using this role. Valid values are `"client"` or `"management"`. If a `"management"`
  token, the `policy` parameter is not required. Defaults to `"client`". [Deprecated from Consul as of 1.4 and
  removed as of Consul 1.11.](/consul/api-docs/acl/legacy)

- `policy` <sup>DEPRECATED (1.11)</sup> `(string: "")` – Specifies the base64-encoded ACL policy.
  This is required unless the `token_type` is `"management"`. [Deprecated from Consul as of 1.4 and
  removed as of Consul 1.11.](/consul/api-docs/acl/legacy)

- `policies` <sup>DEPRECATED (1.11)</sup> `(list: <policy or policies>)` - Same as `consul_policies`.
  Deprecated in favor of using `consul_policies`.

- `consul_policies` `(list: <policy or policies>)` – The list of Consul policies to assign
  to the generated token. This field is required if using using Consul 1.4.

- `local` `(bool: false)` - Indicates that the token should not be replicated
  globally and instead be local to the current datacenter. Only available in Consul
  1.4 and greater.

- `ttl` `(duration: "")` – Specifies the TTL for this role. If not
  provided, the default Vault TTL is used. Uses [duration format strings](/vault/docs/concepts/duration-format).

- `max_ttl` `(duration: "")` – Specifies the max TTL for this role. If not
  provided, the default Vault Max TTL is used. Uses [duration format strings](/vault/docs/concepts/duration-format).

### Sample payload

To create a client token with policies defined in Consul:

```json
{
  "consul_policies": "policy-1,policy-2"
}
```

### Parameters for consul version below 1.4

- `lease` <sup>DEPRECATED (1.11)</sup> `(string: "")` – Specifies the lease for this role.
  Uses [duration format strings](/vault/docs/concepts/duration-format). If not
  provided, the default Vault lease is used.

- `policy` <sup>DEPRECATED (1.11)</sup> `(string: <policy>)` – Specifies the base64-encoded ACL policy. The
  ACL format can be found in the [Consul ACL
  documentation](/consul/docs/security/acl/acl-legacy). This is
  required unless the `token_type` is `"management"`.

### Sample payload

To create a client token with a base64-encoded policy:

```json
{
  "policy": "a2V5ICIi...=="
}
```

To create management tokens:

```json
{
  "token_type": "management"
}
```

### Sample request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --request POST \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    --data @payload.json \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/consul/roles/example-role
```

## Read role

This endpoint queries for information about a Consul role with the given name.
If no role exists with that name, a 404 is returned.

| Method | Path                  |
| :----- | :-------------------- |
| `GET`  | `/consul/roles/:name` |

### Parameters

- `name` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the name of the role to query. This
  is part of the request URL.

### Sample request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/consul/roles/example-role
```

### Sample response

```json
{
  "data": {
    "policy": "abd2...==",
    "lease": "1h0m0s",
    "token_type": "client"
  }
}
```

## List roles

This endpoint lists all existing roles in the secrets engine.

| Method | Path            |
| :----- | :-------------- |
| `LIST` | `/consul/roles` |

### Sample request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    --request LIST \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/consul/roles
```

### Sample response

```json
{
  "data": {
    "keys": ["example-role"]
  }
}
```

## Delete role

This endpoint deletes a Consul role with the given name. Even if the role does
not exist, this endpoint will still return a successful response.

| Method   | Path                  |
| :------- | :-------------------- |
| `DELETE` | `/consul/roles/:name` |

### Parameters

- `name` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the name of the role to delete. This
  is part of the request URL.

### Sample request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --request DELETE \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/consul/roles/example-role
```

## Generate credential

This endpoint generates a dynamic Consul token based on the given role
definition.

| Method | Path                  |
| :----- | :-------------------- |
| `GET`  | `/consul/creds/:name` |

### Parameters

- `name` `(string: <required>)` – Specifies the name of an existing role against
  which to create this Consul credential. This is part of the request URL.

### Sample request

```shell-session
$ curl \
    --header "X-Vault-Token: ..." \
    http://127.0.0.1:8200/v1/consul/creds/example-role
```

### Sample response

```json
{
  "data": {
    "token": "973a31ea-1ec4-c2de-0f63-623f477c2510"
  }
}
```
