Getting Started
===============

Get your API key and make your first request in under 2 minutes.


1. Create an Account
--------------------

Sign up at `apicrate.io <https://apicrate.io>`_ to create your free account.
Once registered, you will have access to the dashboard where you can manage
your API keys and monitor usage.


2. Get Your API Key
-------------------

Navigate to the **API Keys** section of your dashboard and generate a new key.
All keys start with the ``ac_usr_`` prefix and look like this:

.. code-block:: text

   ac_usr_k7G2xM9pQ4wL1nR8vT5yB3jF6hD0cA

Keep your key secret. Do not commit it to version control or share it in
public channels. Treat it like a password.


3. Choose Your Integration
--------------------------

ApiCrate offers two ways to integrate, depending on your use case:

**MCP Server** --- for AI agents (Claude, Cursor, Windsurf)
   Connect your AI client directly to ApiCrate's tool server using the
   Model Context Protocol. Your agent can call any of ApiCrate's tools
   without writing HTTP requests. See :doc:`mcp/index` for setup
   instructions.

**REST API** --- for direct HTTP integration
   Use standard HTTP requests from any language or framework. Send JSON,
   get JSON back. Works with ``curl``, Python ``requests``, JavaScript
   ``fetch``, or any HTTP client. See :doc:`api/index` for endpoint
   documentation.


Next Steps
----------

- :doc:`authentication` --- how to authenticate your requests.
- :doc:`mcp/index` --- connect your AI agent to ApiCrate.
- :doc:`api/index` --- explore the REST API endpoints.