How do I get my first API key?

Create a free account, open the dashboard, and you’ll have a working API key immediately – no credit card. Every new account starts with a test key so you can build against deterministic fixtures before touching live data. When you’re ready for real checks, create a live key in the dashboard and follow the quickstart guide to call GET /v1/vat/:vatId with it.

Step by step

• Sign up at vatnode.dev/register. No credit card is asked for.
• Open Dashboard > API Keys. The test key created at signup is already there; test keys start with vat_test_.
• To get a live key, click Create Key, give it a label such as Production, and copy the key straight away. The full key is shown only once; afterwards the dashboard shows a preview. Live keys start with vat_live_.

Make the first call

Send the key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header: curl https://api.vatnode.dev/v1/vat/XX0000001 -H "Authorization: Bearer vat_test_…" with the test key, or the same request with a real VAT ID such as IE6388047V and a live key. The response has the same shape either way.

Good habits from the start

• Store the key in an environment variable, for example VATNODE_API_KEY, and keep it out of source control and client-side code.
• Use separate keys for production, staging and development, so one can be revoked without touching the others.

For the difference between the two key types see test vs live keys; for how the header works and what the errors look like, see how to authenticate requests.