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

# Get an API Key

> Create a Sixtyfour account and generate your API key.

## Create an Account

1. Go to [app.sixtyfour.ai](https://app.sixtyfour.ai) and sign up
2. Create an organization

## Get Your API Key

1. Open **Settings → API Keys** from the dashboard
2. Click **Create new key**, name it, choose an expiration, then click **Create key**
3. Copy the key value — you'll need it for API requests

<Warning>
  **Your API key is shown only once.** Store it in a secure secret manager (e.g. 1Password, AWS Secrets Manager, Vercel/GitHub environment variables) immediately after creation.

  * **Never** commit keys to source control or share them in plaintext (Slack, email, screenshots).
  * Treat the key like a password — anyone with it can call the API and incur usage on your organization.
  * If a key is lost or leaked, revoke it from the **API Keys** page and create a new one.
</Warning>

## Set Key Expiration

Every key requires an expiration setting at creation time. Choose one of:

| Option   | Behavior                                                                                               |
| -------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Never    | The key stays active until you manually revoke it.                                                     |
| Duration | The key expires automatically after the specified time. Maximum 730 days (2 years), in days or months. |

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/sixtyfour/rQtXMp5998LWBA4t/images/api-key-expiration.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=rQtXMp5998LWBA4t&q=85&s=6136ce28fa4b83cacf16612bc102b476" alt="Set expiration options in the Create new key modal" width="590" height="487" data-path="images/api-key-expiration.png" />

Expired keys stop authenticating immediately and return `401 Unauthorized`. Rotate before expiry to avoid downtime — create a new key, update your secret manager, then revoke the old one.

<Tip>
  Short-lived keys reduce blast radius if a key is leaked. Pick the shortest duration that fits your rotation schedule.
</Tip>

## Review the API Reference

Review the [API Quick Start](/api-quick-start) to see how to use the API.