Network Device REST APIs: Automate Without a CLI

April 15, 2026·2 min read·231 words

Network automation via REST APIs without a CLI: FortiGate (FortiOS REST API), Panorama (Palo Alto), Meraki Dashboard API, and Cisco DNA Center. Python + Requests for rapid scripts and dashboards. 2026 guide.

Why Use REST APIs

Structured data (JSON) vs. fragile CLI parsing
No resource-intensive SSH sessions
Idempotent + stateless
Multi-language bindings (Python, Go, JS)
Native support for cloud SaaS platforms (Meraki, Prisma Access)

Authentication

API key: Meraki (X-Cisco-Meraki-API-Key header)
OAuth 2.0: Cisco DNA Center, Prisma Access
Basic Auth: legacy systems
Token-based authentication: FortiOS
Certificates: secure mTLS

FortiOS REST API

URL: https://fortigate.example.com/api/v2/
Example endpoint: GET /api/v2/cmdb/firewall/policy
Authentication: token in the header
Rate limit: 1200 req/min by default

Python example

import requests
headers = {'Authorization': 'Bearer TOKEN', 'Content-Type': 'application/json'}
resp = requests.get('https://fg.example.com/api/v2/cmdb/firewall/policy', headers=headers, verify=False)
policies = resp.json()['results']
for p in policies: print(p['name'], p['action'])

Meraki Dashboard API

Simple + well documented (developer.cisco.com/meraki)
Python SDK: meraki
Use cases: automatically create networks and deploy configurations to 1000 devices
Rate limit: 10 req/s

Cisco DNA Center API

Token-based OAuth
Intent API: high-level operations
Integration API: CRUD operations on resources
Webhooks: real-time events

Panorama API (Palo Alto)

XML-based (not JSON)
Python SDK: pan-python
Use cases: policy deployment, address objects, and reports

Tools

Postman: develop and test APIs
Swagger/OpenAPI: documentation
Insomnia: an alternative to Postman
curl: quick CLI access

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