# Quick Start

## Get your API keys

Your API requests are authenticated using API keys. Any request that doesn't include an API key will return an error.

The first step is to create a user account through the Clearinghouse website, <https://clearinghouse.net/registration>.\
Then you can request an API key, <https://www.clearinghouse.net/api-request>.

Once the request is accepted, you will receive an email from `info@clearinghouse.net` with your token.

## Authentication

There are two methods of authentication CRLCA has available:

* Token Authentication
* Session Authentication

The following sections will go over how to make your first request using both authentication methods.

## Token Authentication - Make your first request

Token authentication authenticates based the token you have received via email from `info@clearinghouse.net`.

To make your first request, send an authenticated request to the hello endpoint.

## Get test.

<mark style="color:blue;">`GET`</mark> `https://www.clearinghouse.net/api/v2p1/test`

Test endpoint for API connection verification

#### Headers

| Name                                            | Type   | Description                                                                                                                    |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| Authorization<mark style="color:red;">\*</mark> | String | <p>Authorization</p><p><code>Token XXXXXXXXXXX</code></p><p>where</p><p><code>XXXXXXXXXXX</code></p><p>is the token string</p> |

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="200 Successfully connected" %}

```javascript
{
"message": "Success, you have access to the Civil Rights Clearinghouse Litigation API!"
}
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="401 Permission denied " %}

```javascript
{
    "detail":"Authentication credentials were not provided."
}
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

Take a look at how you might call this method using python or `curl`:

{% tabs %}
{% tab title="python" %}

```
import requests

url = "https://clearinghouse.net/api/v2p1/test"
payload = {}
headers = { 'Authorization': 'Token XXXXXXXXXX',
'User-Agent': 'Chrome v22.2 Linux Ubuntu'
}
response = requests.request("GET", url, headers=headers, data=payload)

print(response.text)
```

{% endtab %}

{% tab title="curl" %}

```
curl https://www.clearinghouse.net/api/v2p1/test/ 
    -H 'Authorization: Token XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX'
```

{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}

## Session Authentication

Session authentication authenticates based on your Civil Rights Clearinghouse Litigation website login credentials.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Recommendation:** Session authentication is a great way to navigate available CRCLA requests using the web browser.
{% endhint %}

To make your first request, make sure you are logged onto your Civil Rights Clearinghouse Litigation account. You can access the authentication request to the following endpoint: [https://www.clearinghouse.net/api/v2p1/test.](https://clearinghouse.net/api/v2/test)

You should see the following the data returned:

`{ "message": "Success, you have access to the Civil Rights Clearinghouse Litigation API!"`