diff --git a/app/classes/web/api_handler.py b/app/classes/web/api_handler.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..45442c4a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/classes/web/api_handler.py
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import os
+import secrets
+import threading
+import tornado.web
+import tornado.escape 
+import logging
+
+from app.classes.shared.models import Users
+
+log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
+
+
+class BaseHandler(tornado.web.RequestHandler):
+    
+    def return_response(self, data: dict):
+        # Define a standardized response 
+        self.write(data)
+    
+    def access_denied(self, user):
+        log.info("User %s was denied access to API route", user)
+        self.set_status(403)
+        self.finish(self.return_response(403, {'error':'ACCESS_DENIED', 'info':'You were denied access to the requested resource'}))
+    
+    def authenticate_user(self, token):
+        try:
+            log.debug("Searching for specified token")
+            user_data = Users.get(api_token=token)
+            log.debug("Checking results")
+            if user_data:
+                # Login successful! Return the username
+                log.info("User {} has authenticated to API".format(user_data.username))
+                return user_data.username
+            else:
+                logging.debug("Auth unsuccessful")
+                return None
+        except:
+            log.warning("Traceback occurred when authenticating user to API. Most likely wrong token")
+            return None
+            pass
+