> ## 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

> Get productive in Customer Dashboard Portal in minutes

This quickstart walks you through accessing the portal, selecting a project, validating a model, creating an API key, and making a first request.

## Step 1: Sign in and open the app workspace

1. Sign in to Customer Dashboard Portal.
2. Confirm the left navigation includes Models, Playground, Logs, Usage, API Keys, Projects, and Audit.
3. Set your preferred theme if needed.

## Step 2: Pick or create a project

1. Open **Projects**.
2. Create a project if one does not exist.
3. Use the project in downstream API key and usage workflows.

```mermaid theme={null}
graph TD
    A[Sign in] --> B[Create or Select Project]
    B --> C[Open Models]
    C --> D[Test in Playground]
    D --> E[Create API Key]
    E --> F[Call Endpoint]
    F --> G[Review Logs and Usage]
```

## Step 3: Discover a model

1. Open **Models**.
2. Search and select a model card.
3. In model details, review description, tags, modalities, and supported endpoints.
4. Open **Use Model** and copy a language-specific snippet.

## Step 4: Validate in Playground

1. Open **Playground**.
2. Select the same model.
3. Send a prompt and verify output quality and response time.
4. Optionally open additional chat panes for side-by-side comparisons.

## Step 5: Create an API key

1. Open **API Keys**.
2. Click **Create New Key**.
3. Enter key name, choose project, and set expiry.
4. Copy and store the key securely.

<Warning>
  Treat API keys as secrets. Store them in your secret manager and rotate regularly.
</Warning>

## Step 6: Run your first API call

Use the model snippet from **Use Model** tab with your generated API key.

```bash theme={null}
curl https://<gateway-host>/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <YOUR_API_KEY>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "<MODEL_NAME>",
    "messages": [{"role": "user", "content": "Hello from Customer Dashboard"}]
  }'
```

## Step 7: Verify telemetry and spend

1. Open **Logs** to inspect metrics and request rows.
2. Open **Usage** to confirm token, request, and cost movement.
3. Add a billing alert threshold if needed.

## Next Steps

* Read [Customer Dashboard Concepts](/product-guide/customer-dashboard/customer-dashboard-concepts).
* Follow [Managing API Keys and Projects](/product-guide/customer-dashboard/guides/managing-api-keys-and-projects).
* Use [Observability and Usage Monitoring](/product-guide/customer-dashboard/guides/observability-and-usage-monitoring).