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Every API request requires an API key in the Authorization header.

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Create Your API Key

1

Go to Settings → API Keys

In the Smallest AI Console, click API Keys in the Settings sidebar.API Keys settings page with Create API Key button highlighted
2

Create a new key

Click Create API Key, give it a descriptive name (e.g., my-tts-app), and click Create API Key.Create New API Key dialog with name field and create buttonCopy the key immediately — it won’t be shown again.
3

Set it in your environment

export SMALLEST_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
Add this to your .bashrc or .zshrc to persist across sessions.

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Using Your API Key

Include your key in the Authorization header with every request: 
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

curl -X POST "https://api.smallest.ai/waves/v1/lightning-v3.1/get_speech" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SMALLEST_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text": "Authentication test", "voice_id": "magnus", "output_format": "wav"}' \
  --output test.wav

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Security

Your API key is a secret. Never expose it in client-side code, public repositories, or browser applications.
  • Store keys in environment variables, not in source code
  • Use .env files locally (add .env to .gitignore)
  • Rotate keys periodically via the console
  • Each key tracks usage against your account quota

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Error Responses

StatusMeaning
401 UnauthorizedMissing or invalid API key
403 ForbiddenKey doesn’t have access to this resource
429 Too Many RequestsRate limit exceeded — wait and retry
For rate limits and concurrency details, see Concurrency and Limits.