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

# API quickstart

> Create an API key and make your first request to the Ciarem API.

The Ciarem API lets you connect Ciarem to your own systems: sync contacts, manage your CRM properties and funnel stages, and read conversations programmatically. It is available on the **Scale plan**, and during the **free trial** so you can try it before you pay.

<Info>
  The API is a complement, not a requirement — everything in Ciarem works without writing code. Reach for the API when you want to integrate Ciarem with tools we don't connect to natively.
</Info>

## 1. Create an API key

You need to be an admin, on a Scale plan or a free trial.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open API keys">
    In the dashboard, go to **Settings**, then **API keys**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Create key">
    Give the key a name that says which integration it is for.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Copy the secret">
    The secret — it starts with `oak_` — is shown **only once**: copy it right away and store it like a password. If you lose it, revoke the key and create a new one.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 2. Make your first request

Every request authenticates with the key as a bearer token:

```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.ciarem.ai/v1/me \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer oak_YOUR_SECRET"
```

A successful response identifies the organization the key belongs to:

```json theme={null}
{
  "org_id": "org_…",
  "name": "Your company",
  "timezone": "America/Bogota",
  "language": "es",
  "plan": "scale",
  "trial": false
}
```

## 3. Explore

* Create and update **contacts**, including your custom properties: see the [API reference](/api-reference/openapi).
* Read **conversations and messages** — every message tells you who spoke: the `sender` field is `contact`, `agent`, `ai`, or `system`.
* Manage **CRM metadata**: custom properties and funnel stages, the same ones your team uses in the dashboard.

Continue with [Authentication](/api-reference/authentication) and [Errors, limits, and pagination](/api-reference/errors-limits-pagination).