Authentication

Every endpoint requires an API key. Most endpoints use OpenAI-style Bearer authentication; the Claude-native and Gemini-native protocols use their own headers.

Get a Key

After logging in to the console, create a key on the API Keys page. A key looks like:

sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Keep It Safe

A key is the credential for spending your account balance. Never embed it in frontend code, public repositories, or clients. If you suspect a leak, delete and recreate it in the console immediately.

Default: Bearer Token

OpenAI-compatible endpoints (/v1/chat/completions, /v1/images/*, etc.) all use:

Authorization: Bearer sk-xxxxxxxx

Claude Native: x-api-key

When using the Anthropic native protocol (POST /v1/messages), use these headers instead:

x-api-key: sk-xxxxxxxx
anthropic-version: 2023-06-01

See Claude Messages.

Gemini Native: x-goog-api-key

When using the Gemini native protocol (/v1beta paths):

x-goog-api-key: sk-xxxxxxxx

It can also be passed as the query parameter ?key=sk-xxxxxxxx. See Gemini Native.

Header Cheat Sheet

Protocol / Path	Auth header
OpenAI-compatible `/v1/*`	`Authorization: Bearer sk-...`
Claude `/v1/messages`	`x-api-key: sk-...`
Gemini `/v1beta/*`	`x-goog-api-key: sk-...`

Authentication Failures

An invalid or missing key returns 401:

{
  "error": {
    "code": "",
    "message": "Invalid token (request id: ...)",
    "type": "new_api_error"
  }
}

XycAi Developer Docs · Base URL https://apicdn.xyc.ai