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

# API Authentication Reference

> Authenticate with the Inferoute API using Bearer tokens. Every request requires an Authorization: Bearer header with a valid API key from your dashboard.

Inferoute authenticates every API request using Bearer token authentication. You include your API key in the `Authorization` header of each request — there are no cookies, sessions, or OAuth flows involved.

## Header format

```bash theme={null}
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
```

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a key generated from your Inferoute dashboard. See [API keys](/docs/configuration/api-keys) for instructions on creating and managing keys.

## Code examples

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash curl theme={null}
  curl https://api.inferoute.ai/v1/chat/completions \
    --request POST \
    --header "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
    --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
    --data '{
      "model": "openai/gpt-4o",
      "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
    }'
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  from openai import OpenAI

  client = OpenAI(
      api_key="YOUR_API_KEY",
      base_url="https://api.inferoute.ai/v1",
  )

  response = client.chat.completions.create(
      model="openai/gpt-4o",
      messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}],
  )
  print(response.choices[0].message.content)
  ```

  ```javascript Node.js theme={null}
  import OpenAI from "openai";

  const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
    baseURL: "https://api.inferoute.ai/v1",
  });

  const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
    model: "openai/gpt-4o",
    messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello!" }],
  });
  console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Authentication errors

If your API key is missing, malformed, or invalid, the API returns a `401 Unauthorized` response with the following JSON body:

```json theme={null}
{
  "error": {
    "type": "authentication_error",
    "message": "Invalid API key provided. Check your key in the dashboard and ensure it is included as a Bearer token."
  }
}
```

<Warning>
  Your API key grants full access to your Inferoute account. Never commit it to version control or expose it in client-side code. Use environment variables to inject keys at runtime.
</Warning>

## Managing API keys

You can create, rotate, and revoke keys from the Inferoute dashboard under **Settings → API keys**. See [API keys](/docs/configuration/api-keys) for a step-by-step walkthrough.