Authentication

All requests to the Zenode API require a bearer token. This guide covers how to get one, how to use it, and how to keep it safe.

Get an API key

Create your first key at zenode.ai/account/api. The same account covers both the web tool and the API.

Create an API key

From the API Keys page:

1. Click New key
2. Give it a name (e.g. dev, production)
3. Copy the key — it is shown only once

API keys are prefixed with zn_. Zenode stores only a hash of your key, so if you lose it you'll need to create a new one.

Using your key

Pass your API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header on every request:

1curl "https://api.zenode.ai/v1/parts/match" \
2  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR API KEY HERE>" \
3  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
4  -d '{"query": "LM358"}'

The same header works for GraphQL:

1curl -X POST https://graphql.zenode.ai \
2  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR API KEY HERE>" \
3  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
4  -d '{"query": "{ supSearchMpn(q: \"LM358\", limit: 3) { hits } }"}'

Missing or invalid keys return 401 Unauthorized.

Usage and billing

The API uses a dollar-based usage system — the same one that powers the zenode.ai web tool. Your balance is shared across both. You can monitor consumption and top up your balance from your zenode.ai account.

Pricing is usage-based. Think of it as a credit balance that depletes as you make requests. When your balance reaches $0, requests will return 402 Payment Required until you add more credits. See Rate limits & usage for how work is counted and throttled, and REST usage billing for which endpoints fall into each class.

Security best practices

• Use environment variables — never hard-code keys or log them
• Use a separate key per environment (local, staging, production)
• Rotate keys periodically
• Revoke any key you suspect has been compromised immediately

Revoking a key

Keys can be revoked instantly from the API Keys page. A revoked key returns 401 Unauthorized on the next request.