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

# Quickstart

> Get up and running with Mesh API in under 5 minutes.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an API Key">
    Go to the [Mesh Dashboard](https://app.meshapi.ai) and navigate to **API Keys**. Create a new key and copy the `rsk_...` token.

    <Warning>
      This key is shown only once. Store it securely — treat it like a database password.
    </Warning>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add Credits">
    Mesh uses a pre-paid credit model. Add a small balance (starting from ₹100 or \$5) in the **Billing** section to enable inference on paid models.

    Free models are available immediately without any balance.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make Your First Request">
    Use your preferred HTTP client or OpenAI-compatible SDK:

    <Tabs>
      <Tab title="curl">
        ```bash theme={null}
        curl https://api.meshapi.ai/v1/chat/completions \
          -H "Authorization: Bearer rsk_YOUR_KEY" \
          -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
          -d '{
            "model": "openai/gpt-4o",
            "messages": [
              {"role": "user", "content": "Explain quantum computing in one sentence."}
            ]
          }'
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Python (OpenAI SDK)">
        ```python theme={null}
        from openai import OpenAI

        client = OpenAI(
            api_key="rsk_YOUR_KEY",
            base_url="https://api.meshapi.ai/v1",
        )

        response = client.chat.completions.create(
            model="openai/gpt-4o",
            messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Explain quantum computing in one sentence."}],
        )
        print(response.choices[0].message.content)
        ```
      </Tab>

      <Tab title="Node.js (OpenAI SDK)">
        ```typescript theme={null}
        import OpenAI from "openai";

        const client = new OpenAI({
          apiKey: "rsk_YOUR_KEY",
          baseURL: "https://api.meshapi.ai/v1",
        });

        const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
          model: "openai/gpt-4o",
          messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Explain quantum computing in one sentence." }],
        });
        console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);
        ```
      </Tab>
    </Tabs>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Explore Available Models">
    See all available models and their current pricing:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl https://api.meshapi.ai/v1/models \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer rsk_YOUR_KEY"
    ```

    Models follow the format `provider/model-name` — for example `openai/gpt-4o`, `anthropic/claude-3-5-sonnet`, `google/gemini-3.5-flash`.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What's next?

* [Authentication](/docs/getting-started/authentication) — key types, spend caps, and security best practices
* [Auto Routing](/docs/capabilities/auto-routing) — let the gateway pick the best model automatically
* [Prompt Templates](/docs/capabilities/prompt-templates) — manage prompts server-side
* [Dashboard](/docs/getting-started/dashboard) — monitor usage, billing, and logs