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

# Authentication

> Authenticate API requests with your API key.

All API requests are authenticated with an `API-KEY` header. You can try the API without a key using the sandbox; unauthenticated requests are rate limited to 5 requests per minute and automatically use a public sandbox account.

```bash theme={null}
# Authenticated (production)
curl -X POST https://api.connect.verifyyou.com/v2/verification/create \
  -H "API-KEY: your_api_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"redirect": "https://yourapp.com/verified"}'

# Unauthenticated (sandbox, rate limited)
curl -X POST https://api.connect.verifyyou.com/v2/verification/create \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"redirect": "https://yourapp.com/verified"}'
```

<Warning>
  Keep your API key secret. Never expose it in client-side code; always call the API from your backend.
</Warning>