Apple Maps Server API: Documentation and current Developer Portal authentication workflow

Hi everyone,

I'm integrating Apple Maps Server API into the backend of a production iOS application (Java / Spring Boot).

Before posting, I reviewed the following Apple documentation:

• Apple Maps Server API
• Creating and using tokens with Maps Server API
• Integrating the Apple Maps Server API into Java Server Applications
• Try Maps Server API

I also verified the current Developer Portal behavior and inspected the network requests made by the Try Maps Server API page.

What I verified

Using the current Apple Developer Portal:

Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Services → Maps → Configure Tokens

I can successfully create a Server API token.

I verified the following behavior:

• A Server API token can be created successfully.
• The token only supports the None restriction type.
• The token expires after 7 days.
• The Try Maps Server API page first calls GET /v1/token using the Server API token.
• The /v1/token endpoint returns a short-lived Maps access token.
• That Maps access token is then used to call Apple Maps Server API endpoints such as /v1/place, /v1/search, and /v1/reverseGeocode.

Documentation vs. Developer Portal

The current Apple Maps Server API documentation describes a production authentication flow in which developers:

• Create a Maps Identifier
• Create a Maps Private Key (.p8)
• Generate a signed authentication JWT
• Exchange that JWT for a Maps access token via GET /v1/token
• Use the Maps access token to call Apple Maps Server API

However, in my current Apple Developer account:

• There is no Maps IDs section under Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Identifiers.
• There is no Maps or Apple Maps Server API key available under Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Keys.

My account information:

• Apple Developer Program: Active
• Account Type: Individual
• Role: Account Holder

Based on these observations, I'm not sure how the authentication flow described in the documentation relates to the authentication flow currently supported by the Developer Portal.

Questions

1. What is the currently recommended production authentication flow for Apple Maps Server API?

2. Is the Server API token created from Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles → Services → Maps → Configure Tokens intended only for development and testing, or is it also the recommended authentication mechanism for long-running production backend services?

3. If the production authentication flow described in the documentation is still the recommended approach, how can developers create a Maps Identifier and Maps Private Key using the current Developer Portal?

Any clarification from Apple or from developers who have recently deployed Apple Maps Server API in production would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!