# Query requirements

The Wowza Video REST API uses HTTP requests to retrieve data from cloud-based servers. Requests must contain proper JSON, an authentication key, and the correct version number as the base path.

## Use JSON

The Wowza Video REST API uses the JSON API specification to request and return data. This means requests must include the header `Content-Type: application/json` and must include a single resource object in JSON format as primary data.

Responses include HTTP status codes that indicate whether the query was successful. If there was an error, a description explains the problem so that you can fix it and try again.

## Authenticate

The Wowza Video REST API version 1.9 and beyond uses a JSON Web Token-based authentication scheme. To use JWT-based authentication, you’ll need to create an access token in the Token Management portal and use it in your API requests. To learn more about JWTs and authenticating API requests, see [Authentication](/docs/wowza-video/about-the-rest-api/authentication).

Once you have a JWT, send it as a bearer token in an Authorization header of your API requests, like this (in cURL):


```
curl -H 'Authorization: Bearer [your JWT]' \
```

## Specify a version

You must specify the version of the Wowza Video REST API you're using for the base path of your request. Use the version number or beta, as in


```
https://api.video.wowza.com/api/v1.11/live_streams
```

or


```
https://api.video.wowza.com/api/beta/live_streams
```

## Example query

Here is a complete example POST request, in cURL, with proper JSON syntax, headers, authentication, and version information:


```
curl -X POST \

-H 'Authorization: Bearer [your JWT]' \

-H 'Content-Type: application/json' \

-d '{
    "live_stream": {
      "name": "My live Stream",
      "...": "..."
    }
  }' 'https://api.video.wowza.com/api/[version]/live_streams'
```