---
title: "Getting Started"
sidebarTitle: "Getting Started"
description: "Create an API key and make your first request to the Cline API in under a minute."
---

This guide walks you through creating an API key and making your first Chat Completions request.

## Prerequisites

- A Cline account at [app.cline.bot](https://app.cline.bot)
- `curl` or any HTTP client (Python, Node.js, etc.)

## Create an API Key

<Steps>
  <Step title="Sign in to app.cline.bot">
    Go to [app.cline.bot](https://app.cline.bot) and sign in with your account.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Navigate to API Keys">
    Open **Settings** and select **API Keys**.
  </Step>
  <Step title="Create a new key">
    Click **Create API Key**. Copy the key immediately. You will not be able to see it again after leaving this page.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Warning>
  Treat your API key like a password. Do not commit it to version control or share it publicly.
</Warning>

## Make Your First Request

Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with the key you just created:

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.cline.bot/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "What is the capital of France?"}
    ],
    "stream": false
  }'
```

## Verify the Response

You should get a JSON response like this:

```json
{
  "id": "gen-abc123",
  "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
  "choices": [
    {
      "message": {
        "role": "assistant",
        "content": "The capital of France is Paris."
      },
      "finish_reason": "stop",
      "index": 0
    }
  ],
  "usage": {
    "prompt_tokens": 14,
    "completion_tokens": 8
  }
}
```

The `choices[0].message.content` field contains the model's reply. The `usage` field shows how many tokens were consumed.

## Try Streaming

For real-time output, set `stream: true`. The response arrives as Server-Sent Events:

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.cline.bot/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Write a haiku about programming."}
    ],
    "stream": true
  }'
```

Each chunk arrives as a `data:` line. The stream ends with `data: [DONE]`.

## Try a Free Model

To test without spending credits, use one of the [free models](/api/models#free-models):

```bash
curl -X POST https://api.cline.bot/api/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "minimax/minimax-m2.5",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Hello! What can you help me with?"}
    ],
    "stream": false
  }'
```

## Troubleshooting

| Problem | Solution |
|---------|----------|
| `401 Unauthorized` | Check that your API key is correct and included in the `Authorization` header |
| `402 Payment Required` | Your account has insufficient credits. Add credits at [app.cline.bot](https://app.cline.bot) |
| Empty response | Make sure `messages` is a non-empty array with at least one user message |
| Connection timeout | Verify your network can reach `api.cline.bot`. Check proxy settings if on a corporate network |

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/api/authentication">
    Learn about API keys, token scoping, and security practices.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Chat Completions" icon="message" href="/api/chat-completions">
    Full endpoint reference with all parameters and options.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Models" icon="brain" href="/api/models">
    Browse available models and find the right one for your use case.
  </Card>
  <Card title="SDK Examples" icon="code" href="/api/sdk-examples">
    Use the API from Python, Node.js, or the Cline CLI.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>