Authentication

All API requests require authentication using an API key.

API Keys

API keys are created and managed in your dashboard. Each key has the following format:

sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Using API Keys

Include your API key in the Authorization header of every request:

import OpenAI from 'openai';

const client = new OpenAI({
  baseURL: 'https://api.assistantrouter.com/v1',
  apiKey: process.env.ASSISTANTROUTER_API_KEY, // sk-xxx...
});

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.assistantrouter.com/v1",
    api_key=os.environ["ASSISTANTROUTER_API_KEY"],  # sk-xxx...
)

curl https://api.assistantrouter.com/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ASSISTANTROUTER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"assistant_id": "your-assistant-uuid", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]}'

Key Management

Creating Keys

1. Go to Settings > API Keys in the dashboard
2. Click Create API Key
3. Enter a descriptive name
4. Optionally set an expiration date
5. Copy the key immediately (it won't be shown again)

Revoking Keys

If a key is compromised:

1. Go to Settings > API Keys
2. Find the key and click Revoke
3. Create a new key and update your applications

Best Practices

1. Use environment variables - Never hardcode API keys in your code
2. Rotate keys regularly - Create new keys and deprecate old ones periodically
3. Use separate keys per environment - Different keys for development, staging, and production
4. Set expiration dates - Keys can be configured to expire automatically
5. Monitor usage - Review API key usage in the dashboard to detect anomalies

Error Responses

Invalid or missing authentication returns a 401 Unauthorized error:

{
  "error": {
    "type": "authentication_error",
    "message": "Invalid API key provided",
    "request_id": "req_abc123"
  }
}

Common authentication errors:

Request Headers

Every response includes useful headers: