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An API creator blocks subscription to an API as a way of disabling access to it and managing its usage and monetization. A blocking can be temporary or permanent. You get an unblock option to allow API invocations again.

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Let's get started. See the video tutorial here or a step-by-step walk-through of the video tutorial below. 

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1. Log in to the API Publisher.
2. Create two APIs by the names TestAPI1 and TestAPI2 and publish them to the API Store.
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3. Log in to the API Store. Click the APIs menu and note that the two APIs are visible in the APIs page.
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4. Subscribe to both APIs using the same application. You can use an existing application or create a new one. 
   Image RemovedGo to the My Subscriptions page and create an access token to the default application.
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5. Click the APPLICATIONS menu, click the application that you used to subscribe to the API with (DefaultApplication in this example), go to its Production Keys tab, and re-generate its access token. By default, access tokens expire an hour after creation application.
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6. Invoke both APIs using the access token you got in the previous step. We use cURL here. The command is,

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   curl -k -H "Authorization: Bearer <access token>" '<API URL>'

   Be sure to replace the placeholders as follows:

   • <access token>: Give the token generated in step 5

   • <API URL>: Go to the API's Overview tab in the API Store and copy the production URL and append the payload to it. 

   Here's an example:

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   curl -k -H "Authorization: Bearer f5aa6e4c3e592339a4a64f4a05c1eb8f1d4d097-ebcc-3f02-8d91-0bd4e882ffcd" 'https://gateway.api.cloud.wso2.com:8243443/t/companyncompanyn3/test1/1.0.0/CheckPhoneNumber?PhoneNumber=18006785432&LicenseKey=0'

   
   You have subscribed to two APIs and invoked them successfully. Let's block one subscription and see the outcome.

7. Log back to the Block an API.Block subscription for TestAPI1 using the DefaultApplication. Select the production and sandbox option and click the Block link.
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   1. Sign back into the API Publisher.
8. Click the Subscriptions menu to open the Subscriptions page. It shows all APIs/applications that each user is subscribed to.
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9. 1. Click on the API that you need to block.
      In this case, click on the TestAPI1 API.
   2. Click Subscriptions to navigate to the managed subscription section.
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   3. Click Block.
      Note that the Block link immediately turns to Unblock, allowing you to activate the subscription back at any time.
10. Log back

    Invoke the APIs to test the blocked API.

    1. Sign back in to the API Store.
    2. Invoke the two APIs (TestAPI1 and TestAPI2) again. 

11. Invoke the two APIs (TestAPI1 and TestAPI2) again.

    Note
    You might have to regenerate the access token for DefaultApplication as done in step5, if the access token expiration time (1 hour by default) has passed since the last time you generated it. You can refresh the access token by going to the My Subscriptions page in the Store.

12. Note that you can invoke TestAPI2 again but when you invoke TestAPI1, it gives a message that the requested API is temporarily blocked. Neither the API creator nor any subscriber can invoke the API until the block is removed.
    

    Tip
    Tip: You might still be able to invoke an API within 15 minutes after blocking a subscription, until the cache is renewed.

13. Go to the My Subscriptions page Back in the API Store, click the APPLICATIONS menu, select the application that you used to subscribe to the API two APIs earlier, click its Subscriptions tab, and note that your subscription is now blocked.
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14. Unblock the API.
    
    1. Go back to the API Publisher
    's Subscriptions page and unblock the subscription. Invoke TestAPI1 again and note that you can invoke it as usual
    1. .
    2. Click on the respective API
       In this case click TestAPI1 1.0.0.
    3. Click Subscriptions and click Unblock corresponding to the respective subscription.
       Make sure to click on the subscription that corresponds to the correct Application. 

    If you invoke TestAPI1 again, you will notice that you can invoke the API as usual.

    Tip
    Tip: You might still be unable to invoke an API within 15 minutes after unblocking a subscription, until the cache is renewed.

    You have subscribed to two APIs, blocked subscription to one and tested that you cannot invoke the blocked API.