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

# Authentication

## Authentication

Authenticate requests to public API endpoints using an API key.

### Header

Send your key in the `X-API-Key` header.

```bash theme={null}
curl -X GET "https://api.seleqt.ai/api/v1/public/chats" \
  -H "X-API-Key: <your_api_key>"
```

* **Key format**: `<prefix>.<secret>` (example: `a1b2c3d4.xxxxx`)
* **Do not share**: Treat the full key as a secret. Only the `prefix` is displayed in dashboards.

### Rate limits

* Default: **50 requests per minute** per key
* If exceeded: HTTP 429 with `{"error": "Rate limit exceeded"}`

### Error responses

* 401 Missing/invalid key
* 429 Rate limit exceeded

```json theme={null}
{"error": "Missing API key", "message": "Provide X-API-Key header"}
```