Authentication

API Key Authentication

All FlowAPI requests must include a valid API key. You can create and manage API keys from the FlowAPI Console .

Include your API key in the Authorization header of every request:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_FLOW_API_KEY

Using the OpenAI SDK

Because FlowAPI is OpenAI-compatible, you can authenticate with the standard OpenAI SDK by supplying your FlowAPI key and base URL.

Python

from openai import OpenAI
 
client = OpenAI(
    api_key="YOUR_FLOW_API_KEY",
    base_url="https://api.flowapi.net/v1"
)

Node.js

import OpenAI from "openai";
 
const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: "YOUR_FLOW_API_KEY",
  baseURL: "https://api.flowapi.net/v1",
});

cURL

curl https://api.flowapi.net/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_FLOW_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model": "gpt-4o", "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello"}]}'

Environment Variables

We strongly recommend storing API keys as environment variables rather than hard-coding them.

export FLOW_API_KEY="sk_live_..."

Then reference the variable in your application code:

import os
from openai import OpenAI
 
client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["FLOW_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.flowapi.net/v1"
)

Security Best Practices

• Rotate keys regularly if you suspect any key has been compromised.
• Use separate keys for development and production environments.
• Set usage limits to reduce the risk of unexpected charges.
• Monitor activity in the Console to catch unusual usage patterns.

Rate Limits

Free tier accounts are limited to 50 requests per minute. Contact contact@flowapi.net if you need higher limits.