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

# Quickstart

> Create an account, generate an API key, and send your first OpenAI-compatible request.

# Quickstart

Follow these steps to send your first request through Rock API.

## 1. Create an account

<Card title="Register for Rock API" icon="user-plus" href="https://rockapi.ai/sign-up?utm_source=docs&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=docs_launch">
  Sign up and open the dashboard.
</Card>

## 2. Create an API key

Open the dashboard, open [API Keys](https://rockapi.ai/keys), and create a key for your application. Store the key securely and do not commit it to source control.

## 3. Send a request

```bash theme={null}
curl https://rockapi.ai/v1/chat/completions \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ROCK_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "model": "gpt-4o-mini",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Say hello from Rock API"}
    ]
  }'
```

## Check usage

Use the dashboard to inspect request logs, token usage, and balance consumption.

## Explore the API Reference

Deep dive into our API endpoints for specific model capabilities:

* [Chat Completions](/api-reference/openai-format-chat/create-chat-completion) - Compatible with GPT-4, Claude 3.5, and Gemini 1.5.
* [Image Generation](/api-reference/image-generation/qwen/generate-image-qwen-image) - High-quality image generation via Qwen.
* [Embeddings](/api-reference/openai-format-embeddings/create-text-embeddings) - Vectorize text for search and RAG.

## Next steps

* Use the [OpenAI Compatible API](/openai-compatible) guide to update an existing SDK integration.
* Review [Pricing and Billing](/pricing-and-billing) before production traffic.