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

# Quickstart

> Get started with the VCM.fyi API in under 5 minutes

# Quickstart

Get up and running with the VCM.fyi API in three steps.

## 1. Get Your API Key

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account">
    Sign up at [app.vcm.fyi](https://app.vcm.fyi) if you don't have one.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upgrade to Pro">
    API access requires a Pro or Enterprise plan. Upgrade from your [account settings](https://app.vcm.fyi/settings).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Generate a key">
    Go to [Settings > API](https://app.vcm.fyi/settings/api), click **Generate New Key**, and copy it. The key is shown only once.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## 2. Make Your First Request

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -H "X-API-KEY: vcm_live_your_key_here" \
    "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1/projects/?per_page=5&registry=verra"
  ```

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

  API_KEY = "vcm_live_your_key_here"
  BASE_URL = "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1"
  headers = {"X-API-KEY": API_KEY}

  response = requests.get(
      f"{BASE_URL}/projects/",
      headers=headers,
      params={"per_page": 5, "registry": "verra"}
  )

  data = response.json()
  for project in data["data"]:
      print(f"{project['project_id']}: {project['name']}")
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const API_KEY = "vcm_live_your_key_here";
  const BASE_URL = "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1";

  const response = await fetch(
    `${BASE_URL}/projects/?per_page=5&registry=verra`,
    { headers: { "X-API-KEY": API_KEY } }
  );

  const data = await response.json();
  data.data.forEach(p => console.log(`${p.project_id}: ${p.name}`));
  ```
</CodeGroup>

## 3. Explore the Data

Here are some common queries to get you started:

### Search projects by country and category

```bash theme={null}
curl -H "X-API-KEY: $API_KEY" \
  "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1/projects/?country=Brazil&category=Forestry"
```

### Get credit transactions for a specific project

```bash theme={null}
curl -H "X-API-KEY: $API_KEY" \
  "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1/credits/?project_id=VCS-1396"
```

### Check AI-generated risk analysis

```bash theme={null}
curl -H "X-API-KEY: $API_KEY" \
  "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1/forensics/v2/VCS-1396"
```

### Look up buyer activity

```bash theme={null}
curl -H "X-API-KEY: $API_KEY" \
  "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1/buyers/?per_page=10&sort=-total_retired"
```

### Get country-level carbon policy data

```bash theme={null}
curl -H "X-API-KEY: $API_KEY" \
  "https://api.vcm.fyi/v1/countries/BR"
```

## What's Next?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/authentication">
    Learn about API key management and security best practices.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API Reference" icon="code" href="/api-reference">
    Full endpoint documentation with parameters, responses, and examples.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Rate Limits" icon="gauge" href="/rate-limits">
    Understand rate limiting and how to optimize your usage.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Pagination" icon="arrow-right" href="/pagination">
    Navigate through large datasets efficiently.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>