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

# API Keys & Authentication

> Learn how to obtain and use API keys to authenticate with Houdini

## Overview

All API access is managed through the [Houdini Partner Portal](https://app.houdiniswap.com/partner/login).

After registration, you will receive:

* An API key
* An API secret
* Access to usage analytics
* Commission tracking
* Withdrawal management

All new accounts are created under the **Free tier**, which includes default rate limits.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Partner Account">
    1. Sign up using your email address
    2. Verify your email
    3. Log in to access your dashboard

    Wallet connection is optional but required for commission withdrawals.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Access Your API Credentials">
    After logging in, your dashboard will display:

    * Your API Key
    * Your Secret Code

    Store your secret securely. It will be required for all authenticated requests.

    If your secret is exposed, contact support to rotate credentials.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Card icon="key" href="https://app.houdiniswap.com/partner/dashboard" title="Register as an Integrator">
  Sign up to get your API key and secret
</Card>

## API Base URL

All API requests should be made to:

```
https://api-partner.houdiniswap.com/
```

## Authentication Method

Houdini uses API key and secret authentication passed via the `Authorization` header.

### Header Format

Include your API key and secret in every request using this format:

```http theme={null}
Authorization: <ApiKey>:<ApiSecret>
```

### Example Request

<CodeGroup>
  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  // Build query parameters
  const params = new URLSearchParams({
    amount: '1',
    from: 'ETH',
    to: 'USDC',
    anonymous: 'true',
    useXmr: 'false'
  });

  const response = await fetch(`https://api-partner.houdiniswap.com/quote?${params}`, {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': 'your_api_key:your_api_secret',
      // Mandatory compliance headers
      'x-user-ip': '192.168.1.1',
      'x-user-agent': 'Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36...',
      'x-user-timezone': 'America/New_York'
    }
  });

  const data = await response.json();
  ```

  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -X GET "https://api-partner.houdiniswap.com/quote?amount=1&from=ETH&to=USDC&anonymous=true&useXmr=false" \
    -H "Authorization: your_api_key:your_api_secret" \
    -H "x-user-ip: 192.168.1.1" \
    -H "x-user-agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64) AppleWebKit/537.36..." \
    -H "x-user-timezone: America/New_York"
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Mandatory Compliance Headers

For compliance purposes, the following **headers** are **required** in all API requests:

| Header Name       | Description                      | Example                                          |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `x-user-ip`       | User's IP address                | `"192.168.1.1"`                                  |
| `x-user-agent`    | User's browser user agent string | `"Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 10.0; Win64; x64)..."` |
| `x-user-timezone` | User's timezone                  | `"America/New_York"`                             |

<Warning>
  **Compliance Requirement**: These headers are mandatory for AML/KYC compliance. Requests without these headers will be rejected with a 400 error.
</Warning>

## API Documentation

For complete API specifications and interactive documentation, refer to:

<Card icon="book" href="/api-reference" title="API v2 Reference">
  View the full interactive API reference with request/response schemas and examples
</Card>

## Rate Limits

<Card title="API usage is governed by tier-based, endpoint-specific rate limits.">
  Read more about it on the dedicated Rate limits & Tiers page of the documentation. 
</Card>

## Security Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion icon="shield-halved" title="Never Expose API Credentials Publicly">
    **Critical**: Never expose your API key and secret publicly. This API is meant to be used in a **backend environment**, not directly in a frontend UI.

    * Never commit credentials to version control
    * Never expose them in client-side JavaScript
    * Always store them as secure environment variables
    * Use server-side API calls only
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card icon="rocket" href="/developer-hub/getting-started/quick-start" title="Quick Start">
    Choose your swap type and start integrating immediately
  </Card>

  <Card icon="book" href="/developer-hub/core-concepts/routing-types" title="Core Concepts">
    Learn about routing types and order lifecycle
  </Card>
</CardGroup>