django-api-gate 0.0.4

A middleware to monetize Django APIs with Stripe and the 402 Error Code

Django API Gate 🏦

Monetize your Django API in minutes. django-api-gate is a drop-in middleware that turns your API into a metered, paid service. It connects to the API Gate Hub protocol to handle API keys, credit balances, and billing automatically.

🚀 Features

Instant Paywall: Protects your API routes with one line of code.

Metered Billing: Deducts credits per request automatically.

Zero-Config Banking: No need to set up Stripe or Ledger logic yourself—API Gate Hub handles the backend.

High Performance: Uses persistent connection pooling for minimal latency impact (~20ms).

📦 Installation

pip install django-api-gate

⚙️ Configuration

1. Add into your settings.py:

MIDDLEWARE = [

'django.middleware.security.SecurityMiddleware',

'django.contrib.sessions.middleware.SessionMiddleware',

'django.middleware.common.CommonMiddleware',

# ...

'django_api_gate.middleware.ApiGateMiddleware', # <--- Add this

# ...

]

2. Go to API Gate Hub and create an account.

3. Copy your API Key from the dashboard.

4. Add your API Key to settings.py:

API_GATE_API_KEY = "your-merchant-uuid-here"

OPTIONAL VARIABLES:

Change which URLS are protected (Default: '/api/'):

API_GATE_URL_PREFIX = "/v1/"

Change the cost per request (Default: 1 credit):

API_GATE_PRICE = 5

🛠️ Usage

Once installed, any request to your protected URL prefix (e.g., /api/data) will require an API Gate Key in the header:

curl -H "X-Api-Key: 'customer-uuid-here'" https://yoursite.com/api/data

If a user runs out of credits, they receive a standard 402 Payment Required response:

{ "error": "Insufficient Credits", "balance": 0, "top_up_url": "https://api-gate-production.onrender.com/" }

If a user is missing a key, they receive a standard 402 Payment Required response:

{ "error": "Payment Required", "message": "Access requires a prepaid API Key in header 'X-Api-Key'.", "portal_url": "https://api-gate-production.onrender.com/" }

🏗️ Architecture

This library operates as a Spoke in a Hub-and-Spoke financial model.

The Hub: The API Gate Hub (Ledger, Stripe Processing, User Accounts).

The Spoke: Your Django App (Product, Logic, Value).

When a request comes in, this middleware pings the Hub to verify funds and transfer credits from the Consumer to the Merchant.