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

# Meliai API Authentication — Keys and Header Formats

> Meliai accepts API keys as a Bearer token or x-api-key header. Both formats work on every endpoint. Keys are created in the Meliai dashboard.

Every request to the Meliai API must include your API key. Meliai accepts two header formats — the standard `Authorization: Bearer` token used by OpenAI-compatible clients, and the `x-api-key` header used by Anthropic-compatible clients. Both headers are accepted on every endpoint, so you can use whichever format your existing SDK or HTTP client already sends.

## Supported Header Formats

Both of the following headers are equivalent and accepted on all Meliai endpoints:

```http theme={null}
Authorization: Bearer sk-mel-<YOUR_API_KEY>
```

```http theme={null}
x-api-key: sk-mel-<YOUR_API_KEY>
```

Store your key in the `MELIAI_API_KEY` environment variable and reference it from your code — never hard-code it in source files.

<Warning>
  Never commit API keys to source control or include them in client-side code. Store keys in environment variables or a dedicated secrets manager such as AWS Secrets Manager, HashiCorp Vault, or your CI/CD platform's secret store.
</Warning>

## SDK and curl Examples

The examples below show how to configure each client to point at the Meliai base URL and pass your key. Because Meliai is OpenAI-compatible, the standard `openai` SDK requires only a `base_url` swap.

<CodeGroup>
  ```python Python theme={null}
  from openai import OpenAI
  import os

  client = OpenAI(
      api_key=os.environ["MELIAI_API_KEY"],
      base_url="https://api.meliai.ai/v1",
  )
  ```

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

  const client = new OpenAI({
    apiKey: process.env.MELIAI_API_KEY,
    baseURL: "https://api.meliai.ai/v1",
  });
  ```

  ```bash curl theme={null}
  curl https://api.meliai.ai/v1/chat/completions \
    -H "Authorization: Bearer $MELIAI_API_KEY" \
    -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
    -d '{"model": "<MODEL_ID>", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]}'
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Creating API Keys

Generate and manage your API keys in the [Meliai dashboard](https://meliai.ai/account/api/keys). When you create a key, the full secret value is shown **only once** — copy it immediately and store it securely. If you lose a key, revoke it and generate a new one.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the API Keys page">
    Navigate to [meliai.ai/account/api/keys](https://meliai.ai/account/api/keys) and sign in.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new key">
    Click **New API Key**, give it a descriptive name (for example, `prod-backend` or `dev-local`), and confirm.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy and store the key">
    Copy the key immediately — it will not be shown again. Add it to your environment as `MELIAI_API_KEY`.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Revoke keys you no longer need">
    Delete unused keys from the dashboard to reduce your attack surface. Revoking a key takes effect immediately.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Error Responses

Authentication failures return a structured JSON error with one of the following HTTP status codes:

| Status | Code        | Meaning                                                                                                                                  |
| ------ | ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 401    | `AUTH_1001` | The API key is missing, malformed, or invalid. Check that your key starts with `sk-mel-` and that the `Authorization` header is present. |
| 403    | `AUTH_1003` | The key is valid but lacks the scope required for this endpoint. Check the key's permissions in the dashboard.                           |

See the [Errors](/api-reference/errors) page for the full error response shape and a complete list of error codes.