---
title: "Install and set up authentication"
date: "2026-03-27T11:25:40+00:00"
summary:
image:
type: "page"
url: "/acquia-dam/install-and-set-authentication"
id: "dfb6a6a5-ce99-4c63-a815-1f29b7204e67"
---

Table of contents will be added

This section describes how to install the Acquia DAM module for Drupal, connect your Drupal site to Acquia DAM, and configure features such as image styles, metadata mapping, and user authentication.

Use these pages when you are:

*   Set up Acquia DAM for the first time on a Drupal site.
    
*   Connect a new Drupal environment, such as dev, stage, or prod, to Acquia DAM.
    
*   Review how authentication and permissions work between Drupal and Acquia DAM.
    

Installation and configuration topics
-------------------------------------

[Install the Acquia DAM module](/acquia-dam/how-install-acquia-dam-module "How to Install the Acquia DAM module?")

Explains prerequisites, support boundaries, and how to add and enable the module through Composer, Drush, or the Drupal administrative interface.

[Generate the API access token](/acquia-dam/generate-api-access-token "Generate the API access token")

Learn how to generate the API credentials that allow your Drupal site to communicate securely with Acquia DAM.

*   Where to create API clients and tokens in Acquia DAM.
*   How to identify and configure the required scopes and permissions that are needed for the Drupal integration.
*   How to manage and rotate tokens safely.

[Authenticate a site with an Acquia DAM](/acquia-dam/authenticate-site-acquia-dam "Authenticate a site with an Acquia DAM")

Connect your Drupal environment to your Acquia DAM instance with the generated credentials.

*   Where to configure DAM connection settings in Drupal.
*   How to verify the connection through testing.
    
*   How to identify and resolve common authentication errors.

[User authentication](/node/96611##section-authenticate-a-drupal-user-with-acquia-dam)

Understand how users gain access to Acquia DAM assets through Drupal.

*   How user-level authentication to Acquia DAM works from Drupal
*   How DAM permissions and roles affect which assets users can see
*   How to re-authenticate users when tokens expire, such as when you resolve 401 Unauthorized errors in the Drupal Media Browser.
    

[Configure image styles](/acquia-dam/configure-image-styles "Configure image styles")

Set up how images from Acquia DAM are transformed and displayed in Drupal.

*   Enable image styles for DAM-backed media.
    
*   Choosing styles for different view modes and contexts.
*   What considerations to consider when you use _embed_ as opposed to _download and sync_.

[Metadata configuration](/acquia-dam/metadata-configuration "Metadata configuration")

Control how metadata from Acquia DAM appears in Drupal.

*   Map DAM metadata fields to Drupal media fields.
    
*   Select which metadata to store, display, and search.
    
*   Update mappings when your DAM metadata model changes.
    

How to use this section
-----------------------

1.  ****Generate and authenticate****: Start with the API access token and site authentication when you set up a new environment.
    
2.  ****Fine-tune display****: Configure image styles and metadata mapping once the DAM connection is active and you are ready to adjust how assets appear in Drupal.
    
3.  ****Review user access****: Evaluate user authentication behavior if users report missing assets or 401 Unauthorized errors in the DAM media browser.
    

For common questions and error scenarios related to authentication and permissions, you can also refer to **FAQs**.