> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.polychadsbot.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Authentication

> Secure your requests and manage your tier limits.

We keep authentication simple. Every request just needs your API key passed in the `Authorization` header as a Bearer token.

```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
```

## How to get a key

We've split our key generation to make sure you get exactly what you need, instantly.

### 1. Free & Pro Keys (Automated)

If you just want to start building, analyzing data, or testing your bots, use our automated Telegram integration.

<Card title="Get a Free or Pro Key" icon="robot" href="https://t.me/chadsapibot">
  Open **@chadsapibot** → Tap **Get API Key** → Join the channel → Pick your tier.

  *Your key is generated and ready to use immediately.*
</Card>

### 2. Enterprise Keys (Manual)

If you're running a production system that requires webhook push delivery, entirely unlimited rate limits, and dedicated support, you need an Enterprise key.

<Card title="Request Enterprise Access" icon="briefcase" href="https://t.me/alrerat">
  DM **@alrerat** directly on Telegram. Tell us what you're building, your expected volume, and we'll provision a custom key for your backend.
</Card>

***

## Compare Tiers

| Feature              | Free           | Pro (30 Days) | Enterprise    |
| -------------------- | -------------- | ------------- | ------------- |
| **Data Freshness**   | 5-minute delay | **Real-time** | **Real-time** |
| **Pulls per minute** | 60             | 300           | **Unlimited** |
| **WebSocket Stream** | ❌              | ✅             | ✅             |
| **Webhook Delivery** | ❌              | ❌             | ✅             |

<Tip>
  Pro keys are completely free for the first 30 days. When it expires, your key will automatically downgrade to the Free tier, so your integration won't completely break — it'll just get rate-limited and delayed formatting.
</Tip>

***

## Test Your Key

Want to make sure everything is working? Hit the `/me` endpoint. It'll bounce back your exact tier features and how much of your rate limit you've chewed through today.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_KEY_HERE" \
    https://polychadsbot.xyz/api/v1/me
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  response = requests.get(
      "https://polychadsbot.xyz/api/v1/me",
      headers={"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_KEY_HERE"}
  )
  print(response.json())
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const response = await fetch("https://polychadsbot.xyz/api/v1/me", {
    headers: { Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_KEY_HERE" }
  });
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## Security

Keys follow this format: `sk_live_` followed by a high-entropy random string.
Example: `sk_live_Kr_Ohzog-pwKB64HmOk7uGf-Q86Zde5kpyD1F2IVDzA`

<Warning>
  **Treat your key like a password.** We hash these in our database, meaning if you lose it, we cannot recover it for you. Never commit your key to a public GitHub repository or expose it in client-side frontend code.
</Warning>