> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://apidocs.onbeam.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started

> Get your API key, make your first request, and explore the Onbeam API.

# Getting Started / Get your API

This guide shows how to:

* Get access to the Onbeam API
* Configure authentication
* Make your first request to `https://api.onbeam.io`

## 1. Get your API key

To call the API, you need an API key from your Onbeam account.

Typical flow:

* Sign in to your Onbeam dashboard
* Go to the developer or API settings section
* Create a new secret API key
* Copy it and store it in a secure place (for example an environment variable)

For example, on a backend service you might set:

```bash theme={null}
export ONBEAM_API_KEY="your-secret-key"
```

Never expose your secret API key directly in client-side or mobile apps.

## 2. Send authenticated requests

All requests go to:

`https://api.onbeam.io`

With your API key added in the headers. A common pattern is to use a bearer-style authorization header:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.onbeam.io/wallets \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ONBEAM_API_KEY"
```

Your exact header name or scheme can be adjusted to match how you implement authentication on the backend, but the key idea is that:

* Every request includes a valid credential
* The credential is only stored and sent from trusted servers

## 3. Make your first API call

Once you have an API key, you can test basic connectivity by listing wallets:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.onbeam.io/wallets \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ONBEAM_API_KEY"
```

If everything is configured correctly, you should receive a JSON response with either an empty list of wallets or the wallets already associated with your project.

Next steps:

* Use the **Wallets** page in the API Reference to predict and deploy wallets
* Use **Swaps**, **Transfers**, and **Swap and Transfer** to move value
* Use **Unified and Aggregated Balance** to get cross-chain balance views
* Use **Transaction Status** to track the lifecycle of multichain operations