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

# Create API Keys

> API keys authenticate your requests to the Equos API. Learn how to create, manage, and secure them.

<Warning>
  API keys are **developer credentials**. If you're not a developer, you probably don't need to create one.
</Warning>

This guide explains how to create and manage API keys in the Equos Studio.

<Card title="Don't have an account yet?" href="/quickstart/setup" icon="rocket">
  Follow the setup guide to create your Equos account and organization.
</Card>

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/equos/RV3tbha5YUecIT-t/images/keys.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=RV3tbha5YUecIT-t&q=85&s=5fd2d0ada868dd9d63c9ca23a3711320" alt="API Keys page in the Equos Studio" width="3024" height="1606" data-path="images/keys.png" />
</Frame>

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the API Keys page">
    Go to [studio.equos.ai/api-keys](https://studio.equos.ai/api-keys).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new key">
    Click the **+** button in the top-right corner, fill in the form, and submit.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save your key">
    Copy the generated key and store it somewhere safe. You won't be able to view it again.
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Important

<Danger>
  **Never expose your API key in the browser or any client-side code.** Keys grant full access to your organization and must only be used from a secure backend.
</Danger>

<Warning>
  **The key is only shown once.** Equos stores a hash of the key, not the key itself—if you lose it, you'll need to create a new one.
</Warning>

<Tip>
  If a key is ever compromised, disable it immediately from the API Keys page and create a new one.
</Tip>

***

### Next Steps

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="Node.js SDK" icon="node" href="/sdks/nodejs">
    Build faster with our official Node.js SDK.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="server" href="/api-reference/health/health-check-endpoint">
    Explore all endpoints in the API reference.
  </Card>
</Columns>