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

# Authentication

> Creating and using API keys

Kinetic uses API keys for programmatic authentication.
DO NOT share your API keys with anyone.
These keys can perform any action that you, as an individual user, can perform.

There are two steps:

1. [Create an API key](https://kineticsystems.ai/settings/api-keys)
2. Use the API key in your requests

## Create an API key

1. Go to your [Kinetic dashboard](https://kineticsystems.ai/settings/api-keys)
2. Go to the "API Keys" page.
3. Click on "Create API Key".
4. Enter a name for your API key.
5. Click on "Create".
6. Copy the API key.

## Use an API key

Include the `X-Kinetic-Key: <api-key>` header on every request:

Example:

```bash theme={null}
curl --header "X-Kinetic-Key: $KINETIC_API_KEY" \
     "https://api.kineticsystems.ai/api/workflows"
```