# Consumer API authentication

Sign in to the [Darkbloom Console](https://console.darkbloom.dev/), open the [API console](https://console.darkbloom.dev/api-console), and create a consumer API key. Keep the key secret and use it from a trusted server or local environment. Fund the account before paid fleet inference; authentication does not bypass billing, rate limits or model availability.

API base URL: https://api.darkbloom.dev/v1

Set `DARKBLOOM_API_KEY` to your own key in your environment. The following command uses a variable placeholder, not an embedded credential:

```sh
curl https://api.darkbloom.dev/v1/models \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $DARKBLOOM_API_KEY"
```

Use a returned model ID in inference requests. An invalid or missing key returns a JSON 401 authentication error. The public [pricing endpoint](https://api.darkbloom.dev/v1/pricing) can be read without a key; model discovery and inference require authentication.

The provider device token is not a consumer API key. The provider CLI login manages a Mac's provider identity; it does not create a key for consumer integrations. Do not put provider credentials into consumer requests.

For implementation details, see [Developers](/developers), [OpenAPI](/openapi.json), [official authentication documentation](https://docs.darkbloom.dev/api/authentication), and [home](/index.md).