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

# Create an API key

To access the Copper API, you need to have an API key.

To create an API key, go to the [Copper Platform UI](https://platform.copper.co/) and follow these steps:

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to organisation settings">
    On your Copper dashboard, click your organisation's name in the top left of your screen, select **Organisation settings**, and then select **API Keys**.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/copperco/8EIpazN_ergWo9kn/images/organization-settings.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=8EIpazN_ergWo9kn&q=85&s=fa7b207355df39a1c006299dd2271657" alt="Organization Settings" width="1433" height="449" data-path="images/organization-settings.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Choose the owner, set permissions, and configure an IP allowlist">
    Determine if the API key should be associated with your personal account or a service user account.
    Optionally, you can restrict its access to specific IP addresses by setting IP addresses restrictions.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/copperco/8EIpazN_ergWo9kn/images/new-api-key-form.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=8EIpazN_ergWo9kn&q=85&s=a97f4952df992f07d28a0c02632b80ad" alt="New API Key Form" width="2820" height="3355" data-path="images/new-api-key-form.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Save the API key and API secret">
    All done! Make sure to copy your API secret and store it in a safe place. You won’t be able to see it again.

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/copperco/VjFckwcqW1OMkEwv/images/api-key-created.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=VjFckwcqW1OMkEwv&q=85&s=21d249247fc3aa79534fe5ed1ff02e27" alt="API Key Created" width="2450" height="3375" data-path="images/api-key-created.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use your API key">
    With your API key in hand, you can now access the Copper Platform API.
  </Step>
</Steps>