APIClaw

Quick start: connect your first client

Send your first API request through APIClaw and confirm your account, API key, and model ID are set up correctly.

Goal: learn the basics of APIClaw by creating an API key and sending a test request.

Result: a working setup you can reuse in Cursor, Claude Code, Codex CLI, OpenClaw, and any OpenAI-compatible client.

Watch the tutorials

Follow the APIClaw video playlist before you configure your first client:

Open playlist on YouTube

Recommended first-time setup

If this is your first time using APIClaw, complete these steps in order:

  1. Sign up at https://apiclaw.biz/ui/signup/ (50 free requests, no card required).
  2. Open the API Keys dashboard and create a new virtual key.
  3. Copy the key once and store it locally. Never commit it to git or share it in public chats.
  4. Open the model hub and copy the full model ID your account can use.
  5. Set Base URL to https://apiclaw.biz/v1, paste your API key, and use the full model ID in your client or code. If your client speaks Anthropic Messages rather than OpenAI, see the table below first.

Which base URL to use

The two protocols are not interchangeable, and the difference is the /v1:

Your client speaksBase URL
OpenAI (Chat Completions or Responses)https://apiclaw.biz/v1
Anthropic Messages (Claude Code, Anthropic SDK clients)https://apiclaw.biz

If a client refuses to connect on one, it is usually asking for the other. Never append /chat/completions to the base URL unless a guide says that client wants the full endpoint.

Do not paste full API keys into screenshots, public repos, or support tickets. When asking for help, share the key name, request time, and error message only.

Routine dashboard checks

After connecting a client, use these pages to confirm everything is working:

  • Dashboard: check your plan, daily quota, and overall usage.
  • API Keys: create, disable, or rotate keys. If a key may be compromised, delete it and create a new one.
  • Logs: review requests in the usage logs page for model, latency, errors, and quota consumption.
  • Model hub: confirm the exact model ID your account can call. Avoid short names or models not enabled for your plan.

If requests fail or a model is unavailable, refresh the dashboard, verify the model ID, and compare against the logs page before opening a support ticket.

Test with curl

bash
curl https://apiclaw.biz/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"model":"YOUR_MODEL_ID","messages":[{"role":"user","content":"Hello from APIClaw"}]}'

A successful response confirms your key, base URL, and model ID are correct.

Next steps