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Authentication

All API requests require a Runcrate API key passed as a Bearer token.

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Getting Your API Key

1

Go to the Keys page

Navigate to Dashboard → Keys and click the API Keys tab.
2

Create a key

Click Create API Key and give it a name.
3

Copy immediately

The full key is displayed only once. Copy it and store it securely.
Your key looks like: rc_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The full API key cannot be viewed again after creation. If you lose it, create a new one.

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Using Your Key

Include the key in the Authorization header: 
curl https://api.runcrate.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer rc_live_YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "deepseek-ai/DeepSeek-V3", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hi"}]}'
Or with the OpenAI SDK: 
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    base_url="https://api.runcrate.ai/v1",
    api_key="rc_live_YOUR_API_KEY",
)

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Key Management

From the API Keys tab you can:
  • View keys — See the key prefix and status (the full key is never shown again)
  • Activate/Deactivate — Toggle a key without deleting it
  • Delete — Permanently remove a key
  • Track usage — See the last-used date for each key

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Auto-Provisioned Keys

When you open a model in the Playground, Runcrate automatically creates a default API key for your project if one doesn’t exist. This key is used for playground requests.

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Security Best Practices

  • Store keys in environment variables, not in code
  • Never commit keys to git — add .env to .gitignore
  • Use separate keys for development and production
  • Rotate keys periodically
  • Deactivate compromised keys immediately