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

# Authentication

> Authenticate securely with environment-scoped Kelviq API keys

Kelviq API uses API keys to authenticate requests. All API requests must be made over HTTPS; calls made over plain HTTP will fail. API requests without authentication will also fail.

## API Keys

Kelviq provides two types of API keys for different use cases.

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Client API Key">
    Used for frontend applications where the key is publicly accessible.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Server API Key">
    Used for backend implementations. This key has more privileges and must be kept secret.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Info>
  **Environment Scoping:** API keys are scoped per environment. This means your **production** and **sandbox** environments will have separate and distinct API keys.
</Info>

[Learn how the sandbox works →](/guides/sandbox)

<Warning>
  **Important Security Notice:** Do not share your **Server API Key** in any publicly accessible areas such as frontend code, client-side applications, or public repositories.
</Warning>

### Obtaining Your API Key

You can get your API key from the Kelviq application dashboard.

1. Navigate to **Settings**.
2. Go to the [**API keys**](https://app.kelviq.com/settings/api-keys) section.
3. Copy your **Server API Key** to use in your application.

***

## Authorization

To authenticate your requests, pass your **Server API Key** as a Bearer token in the `Authorization` header.

```bash theme={null}
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
```