Authentication

Every API request requires an API key in the Authorization header.

Create Your API Key

1

Open the Smallest AI console

In the Smallest AI console, select API Keys from the left sidebar under Developer.

2

Create a new key

Click Create API Key in the top-right corner, enter a name (e.g., my-tts-app), and click Create API Key to confirm.

3

Copy the key

The new key appears in your dashboard. Click the copy icon to copy it — it’s shown only once at creation, so copy it now.

4

Set it in your environment

$
export SMALLEST_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"

Add this to your .bashrc or .zshrc to persist across sessions.

Using Your API Key

Include your key in the Authorization header with every request:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

$
curl -X POST "https://api.smallest.ai/waves/v1/tts" \
>
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $SMALLEST_API_KEY" \
>
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
>
  -H "Accept: audio/wav" \
>
  -d '{"text": "Authentication test", "voice_id": "meher", "model": "lightning_v3.1_pro", "output_format": "wav"}' \
>
  --output test.wav

Security

• Store keys in environment variables, not in source code
• Use .env files locally (add .env to .gitignore)
• Rotate keys periodically via the console
• Each key tracks usage against your account quota

Error Responses

For rate limits and concurrency details, see Concurrency and Limits.