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

# Quickstart

> Make your first successful API Integration request

This guide walks through a minimal end-to-end flow: get endpoint details from a project, create a project API key, and send a request.

## Step 1: Open a Project Endpoint

1. In Bud AI Foundry, open **Projects**.
2. Select your project.
3. In the routes/deployments area, click **Use this model** for a running endpoint.
4. Note the generated base URL, path, and model name.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/budecosystem-b7b14df4/XG_aP3k6QkB3cbrC/images/image-37.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=XG_aP3k6QkB3cbrC&q=85&s=1134e97c1d3dbd8f23280bf5ca636311" alt="Image" width="1920" height="875" data-path="images/image-37.png" />

## Step 2: Create a Project API Key

1. Navigate to **API Keys**.
2. Create a key scoped to the same project.
3. Copy the key securely.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/budecosystem-b7b14df4/XG_aP3k6QkB3cbrC/images/image-38.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=XG_aP3k6QkB3cbrC&q=85&s=fe2dbc5abfdf75883aca4546e699c13f" alt="Image" width="1920" height="877" data-path="images/image-38.png" />

<Warning>
  Store API keys in a secret manager or environment variable. Do not hardcode keys in source code.
</Warning>

## Step 3: Send a Test Request

```bash theme={null}
curl --location 'https://YOUR_BASE_URL/v1/chat/completions' \
  --header 'Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY' \
  --header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  --data '{
    "model": "YOUR_MODEL_NAME",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Give me a one-line summary of Bud AI Foundry."}],
    "max_tokens": 128
  }'
```

## Step 4: Validate the Response

Confirm that:

* You receive HTTP `200`.
* The response includes a completion payload.
* The model and endpoint match your selected project route.

```mermaid theme={null}
flowchart TD
    A[Select Endpoint in Project] --> B[Create Project API Key]
    B --> C[Send Request]
    C --> D{200 OK?}
    D -->|Yes| E[Integration Ready]
    D -->|No| F[Check Auth / URL / Payload]
```

## Step 5: Move to Application Code

Use generated snippets from the **Use this model** drawer for:

* cURL
* Python (`requests`)
* JavaScript (`fetch`)

Then add retry and timeout policies before production rollout.

## What to Read Next

* [API Integration Concepts](/api-integration/api-integration-concepts)
* [Creating Your First API Integration](/api-integration/creating-first-api-integration)
* [Troubleshooting](/api-integration/troubleshooting)