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API Key Authentication

Continum uses API keys to authenticate requests. Include your API key in the x-continum-key header: 
curl https://api.continum.co/customers \
  -H "x-continum-key: co_your_api_key_here"

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Getting Your API Key

  1. Sign in to the dashboard
  2. Navigate to Settings → API Keys
  3. Click “Generate New Key”
  4. Copy and save the key securely
API keys are displayed only once. If you lose your key, you’ll need to generate a new one.

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API Key Format

Continum API keys follow this format: 
co_[48 hexadecimal characters]
Example: co_a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6q7r8s9t0u1v2w3x4

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Security Best Practices

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Store Keys Securely

Never hardcode API keys in your source code: 
// ❌ Bad - hardcoded key
const continum = new Continum({
  continumKey: 'co_a1b2c3d4...'
});

// ✅ Good - environment variable
const continum = new Continum({
  continumKey: process.env.CONTINUM_KEY
});

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Use Environment Variables

Store keys in environment variables: 
# .env
CONTINUM_KEY=co_your_api_key_here

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Rotate Keys Regularly

Generate new keys periodically and revoke old ones:
  1. Generate a new key in the dashboard
  2. Update your application with the new key
  3. Test that everything works
  4. Revoke the old key

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Limit Key Scope

Use different keys for different environments:
  • Development: co_dev_...
  • Staging: co_staging_...
  • Production: co_prod_...

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Key Management

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Viewing Keys

View all your API keys in the dashboard: 
Dashboard → Settings → API Keys
You’ll see:
  • Key prefix (first 8 characters)
  • Creation date
  • Last used date
  • Status (active/revoked)

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Revoking Keys

Revoke a key immediately if compromised:
  1. Navigate to API Keys in the dashboard
  2. Find the key to revoke
  3. Click “Revoke”
  4. Confirm the action
Revoking a key is immediate and cannot be undone. All requests using that key will fail.

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Authentication Errors

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401 Unauthorized

Missing or invalid API key: 
{
  "statusCode": 401,
  "message": "Missing x-continum-key header",
  "error": "Unauthorized"
}
Solution: Include the x-continum-key header with a valid API key.

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403 Forbidden

Plan limit reached: 
{
  "statusCode": 403,
  "message": "Dev plan audit limit (1000) reached. Please upgrade to Pro.",
  "error": "Forbidden"
}
Solution: Upgrade your plan or wait for the limit to reset.

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Testing Authentication

Test your API key with a simple request: 
curl https://api.continum.co/customers \
  -H "x-continum-key: co_your_api_key_here"
Expected response: 
{
  "id": "cust_123",
  "name": "Your Company",
  "plan": "PRO",
  "auditCount": 1234
}

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SDK Authentication

The SDK handles authentication automatically: 
import { Continum } from '@continum/sdk';

const continum = new Continum({
  continumKey: process.env.CONTINUM_KEY,
  openaiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY
});

// SDK includes x-continum-key header automatically
const response = await continum.llm.openai.gpt_4o.chat({
  messages: [{ role: 'user', content: 'Hello' }]
});

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Internal API Authentication

Some endpoints are for internal use only (Continum Platform communication): 
curl -X POST https://api.continum.co/internal/signal \
  -H "x-internal-secret: your_internal_secret" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{...}'
Internal endpoints are not accessible with regular API keys. They are reserved for Continum Platform operations.

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Next Steps

API Introduction

Learn about the REST API

SDK Installation

Install the SDK

Customer API

Manage customer accounts

Dashboard

View your API keys