API Keys

API keys are used to authenticate requests to the Apertis API. This guide explains how to obtain, manage, and secure your API keys.

Obtaining Your API Key

Standard API Key (PAYG)

1. Sign up or log in to your account at Apertis
2. Navigate to API Keys
3. Click Create New Key to generate a new API key
4. Copy and securely store your API key - it will only be shown once

Subscription API Key

If you have an active subscription, a dedicated API key is automatically created for you:

1. Click My Plan in the navbar (or go to Settings)
2. Switch to the API Keys tab
3. Your subscription key (sk-sub-...) is listed with integration guides and ready to use

Important

Your API key is displayed only once upon creation. Store it securely immediately. If you lose your key, you'll need to create a new one.

API Key Format

Apertis API keys follow this format:

sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

• Prefix: sk- (standard key) or sk-sub- (subscription key)
• Length: 32+ characters after the prefix
• Characters: Alphanumeric (a-z, A-Z, 0-9)

Using Your API Key

Authentication Methods

Apertis supports two authentication methods:

Method	Header	Example
Bearer Token	Authorization	Authorization: Bearer sk-your-api-key
API Key	x-api-key	x-api-key: sk-your-api-key

Both methods work across all endpoints. The x-api-key header provides compatibility with Anthropic SDKs.

Example: Bearer Token (OpenAI SDKs)

curl https://api.apertis.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk-your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "gpt-4.1",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

Example: x-api-key (Anthropic SDKs)

curl https://api.apertis.ai/v1/messages \
  -H "x-api-key: sk-your-api-key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4.5",
    "max_tokens": 1024,
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
  }'

tip

When both headers are provided, Authorization takes precedence over x-api-key.

Python Example

from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key="sk-your-api-key",
    base_url="https://api.apertis.ai/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="gpt-4.1",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello!"}]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

Node.js Example

import OpenAI from 'openai';

const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: 'sk-your-api-key',
  baseURL: 'https://api.apertis.ai/v1'
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: 'gpt-4.1',
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello!' }]
});

console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);

API Key Settings

Quota Management

Each API key has its own quota allocation:

Setting	Description
Remaining Quota	Available balance for API calls
Used Quota	Total amount consumed
Unlimited	Option to set unlimited quota

Model Restrictions

You can restrict which models an API key can access:

• All Models: Access to all available models (default)
• Specific Models: Whitelist only certain models

Example: Restrict a key to only use gpt-4.1 and claude-sonnet-4.5:

Model Whitelist: gpt-4.1, claude-sonnet-4.5

IP Whitelisting (Subnet Restrictions)

For enhanced security, you can restrict API key usage to specific IP addresses or subnets:

Allowed IPs: 192.168.1.0/24, 10.0.0.1

This ensures your API key can only be used from authorized networks.

Expiration Date

Set an expiration date for temporary or project-specific keys:

• Never Expire: Key remains valid indefinitely
• Custom Date: Key expires on a specific date

Types of API Keys

Standard API Keys (sk-)

• Created manually by users
• Configurable quota and restrictions
• Suitable for development and production use

Subscription API Keys (sk-sub-)

• Automatically generated for subscription plans
• Quota synced with subscription cycle
• Automatically reset when billing cycle renews

Best Practices

Security Guidelines

1. Never expose your API key in client-side code

   // DON'T do this in frontend code
   const apiKey = "sk-your-api-key"; // Exposed to users!

2. Use environment variables

   export APERTIS_API_KEY="sk-your-api-key"
   import os
   api_key = os.environ.get("APERTIS_API_KEY")

3. Rotate keys regularly - Create new keys periodically and deprecate old ones

4. Use separate keys for different environments

   • Development key with limited quota
   • Production key with appropriate restrictions

5. Enable IP whitelisting for production keys when possible

Quota Management Tips

• Monitor your usage regularly in the dashboard
• Set up alerts for low quota warnings
• Use model restrictions to prevent unexpected costs
• Consider using subscription plans for predictable budgeting

Managing Multiple Keys

You can create multiple API keys for different purposes:

Use Case	Recommended Settings
Development	Low quota, all models, no IP restriction
Production	Higher quota, specific models, IP whitelist
Testing	Limited quota, expiration date set
Third-party Integration	Minimal quota, specific models only

Revoking API Keys

To revoke an API key:

1. Go to API Keys in your dashboard
2. Find the key you want to revoke
3. Click Delete or Disable

caution

Revoking a key is immediate and cannot be undone. Any applications using that key will stop working immediately.

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Error	Cause	Solution
401 Unauthorized	Invalid or missing API key	Check key is correct and included in header
403 Forbidden	Key doesn't have access to model	Check model restrictions on your key
429 Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded	Reduce request frequency or upgrade plan
402 Payment Required	Quota exhausted	Add more quota or enable PAYG fallback

Related Topics

• Subscription Plans - Learn about quota and billing
• Rate Limits - Understand request limits
• Error Codes - Complete error reference