Quickstart, your first API call

5 minFor developers

This page takes you from zero to a working API call. You need a ZenithAI account on your organisation’s server. If you don’t have one, ask your ZenithAI administrator to create it for you.

Your server, your address

The samples use https://dummydomain. Type your real server address in the Your server box in the sidebar (in the menu on phones) and every sample on the site changes to match.

1. Create an API key

   Sign in to ZenithAI in your browser. Open Settings, choose API keys in the left menu, type a key name you will recognise later, such as billing-bot, and click Create key.

   The key is shown only once

   Copy it straight away and keep it in a password manager or secrets store. A key acts as you, with your access. If you lose it, delete it and create a new one.

2. Keep the address and key out of your code

   macOS / Linux

   export BASE='https://dummydomain'
   export API_KEY='paste-your-key-here'

   PowerShell

   $env:BASE = "https://dummydomain"
   $env:API_KEY = "paste-your-key-here"

3. Send your first message

   Install the OpenAI library (pip install openai or npm install openai), point it at your server, and pick a tier.

   Python

   import os
   from openai import OpenAI
   
   client = OpenAI(base_url=os.environ["BASE"] + "/v1", api_key=os.environ["API_KEY"])
   
   reply = client.chat.completions.create(
       model="Fast",
       messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Write a polite two-line reminder for a pending invoice."}],
   )
   print(reply.choices[0].message.content)

   JavaScript

   import OpenAI from "openai";
   
   const client = new OpenAI({ baseURL: `${process.env.BASE}/v1`, apiKey: process.env.API_KEY });
   
   const reply = await client.chat.completions.create({
     model: "Fast",
     messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Write a polite two-line reminder for a pending invoice." }],
   });
   console.log(reply.choices[0].message.content);

   cURL

   curl --fail-with-body "https://dummydomain/v1/chat/completions" \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY" -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
     -d '{"model":"Fast","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Write a polite two-line reminder for a pending invoice."}]}'

   The answer is in choices[0].message.content. Also look at choices[0].finish_reason. If it says length, the answer was cut short; ask for a shorter answer or raise max_tokens.

That’s it, ho gaya (done). Your app is talking to ZenithAI.

Watch it end to end

From sign-in to first replyVideo coming soon

Next steps

• Choose Instant, Fast, Smart or Genius
• Return structured JSON
• Read text and tables from a PDF

Common questions

Where do I get a ZenithAI API key?

Sign in to ZenithAI in your browser, open Settings, then API keys, and click Create key. Copy the key straight away, because it is shown only once. Each person can have up to 20 keys.

Do I need a special SDK for ZenithAI?

No. ZenithAI accepts the OpenAI chat format, so the official OpenAI libraries for Python and JavaScript work. Change the base URL to your server and use a tier name such as Fast as the model.

Which tier should I use for my first call?

Start with Fast. It suits everyday chat, summaries and extraction. Move to Smart or Genius when you need careful reasoning over long documents, or function calling.