API Quickstart Guide
This sample demonstrates how I onboard developers to an API with a fast path to their first successful request.
Audience
Developers new to the platform
Goal
Make one authenticated API request
Format
Step-by-step quickstart
What you’ll build
By the end of this guide, you’ll make a successful request to the
/v1/users
endpoint and receive a JSON response.
1. Get your API key
Generate an API key from the dashboard. Keep this key secret.
export API_KEY="your_api_key_here"
2. Make your first request
Use the API key in the Authorization header.
curl https://api.example.com/v1/users \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $API_KEY"
Example response
{
"data": [
{
"id": "usr_123",
"email": "user@example.com"
}
]
}
Troubleshooting
- 401 Unauthorized — Check that your API key is valid and included in the header.
- 403 Forbidden — Ensure your key has access to this endpoint.
Why this works
This quickstart minimizes cognitive load, avoids configuration rabbit holes, and confirms success early — a proven pattern for developer-facing documentation.
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