Get an API key
- Go to boson.ai/workspace and sign up for a free Boson account.
- Complete the account setup and verification steps.
- Log in and open the API Keys page.
- Click Create API Key and give the key a descriptive name.
- Copy the key. Boson API keys use the format
bai-xxxx; store yours securely.
Treat API keys like passwords. Never commit keys to source control, never log them, and never embed them in client-side code shipped to browsers or mobile apps.
Store keys safely
Read the key from an environment variable, secret manager, or deployment config. Recommended patterns:
-
Quick local test: set the key in your shell for the current session:
export BOSON_API_KEY=bai-xxxx
-
Local development: use a
.env file loaded by direnv, dotenv, or your shell. Add .env to .gitignore.
-
Servers: inject through your platform’s secret store (AWS Secrets Manager, GCP Secret Manager, Vercel env vars, Fly secrets, Kubernetes Secrets).
-
CI: store as a masked CI secret. Avoid printing the value in build logs.
Sending a request
Pass the key in the Authorization header on every API request.
curl https://api.boson.ai/v1/audio/speech \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $BOSON_API_KEY"
Common errors
The API returns 401 Unauthorized when there is a problem with your API key. Common causes include:
| Code | Cause |
|---|
invalid_api_key | Key missing, malformed, or revoked. |
insufficient_quota | Credits are exhausted or a hard limit has been reached. |
permission_denied | Key is valid but lacks access to the requested resource. |
