Authentication

All TechLadder API endpoints require authentication using a Bearer token. Your API key acts as this token.

Getting Your API Key

1. Create an account on TechLadder
2. Log in to the TechLadder Dashboard
3. Navigate to Settings → API Keys
4. Click Generate API Key
5. Copy your key immediately — it will only be shown once

Your API key looks like:

sk_bvTQr74V8Rk-bNM7mPOR2rwWQQrqs_m9K8HNeemSECfb--2L9VfVyElni0qzkF-D

Using Your API Key

Include your API key in the Authorization header of every request:

Authorization: Bearer sk_your_api_key_here

Example Request

curl -X GET https://api.staging.techladder.ai/api/v1/public/me \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer sk_your_api_key_here"

Example Response

{
  "status_code": 200,
  "message": "Account details fetched successfully",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "account_id": "acc_abc123",
    "name": "Your Company",
    "email": "dev@yourcompany.com",
    "limits": {
      "max_batch_size": 10000,
      "max_concurrent_calls": 20,
      "max_call_duration_seconds": 900,
      "rate_limit_per_minute": 300
    }
  }
}

Security Best Practices

Important

• Never expose your API key in client-side code, Git repositories, or public URLs
• Use environment variables to store your key
• Rotate your key immediately if you suspect it has been compromised
• Each API key is tied to your account — all actions are logged

✅ Do	❌ Don't
Store in environment variables	Hardcode in source code
Use server-side requests only	Expose in frontend JavaScript
Rotate keys periodically	Share keys across teams
Use separate keys per environment	Use production keys for testing

Error Responses

If authentication fails, you'll receive one of these errors:

Status	Error Code	Description
401	UNAUTHORIZED	Missing or invalid API key
403	FORBIDDEN	API access not enabled for your account
429	RATE_LIMITED	Too many requests — slow down