Authentication

All API requests require authentication via an API key. Here's how to get and use yours.

API Keys

Generate API keys from your Settings page. Each key is unique to your account and has a specific prefix.

Prefix	Environment	Description
`rw_live_`	Production	For production applications. Requests are billed normally.
`rw_test_`	Testing	For development and testing. Limited functionality.

Keep your key secret

Never expose your API key in client-side code, public repositories, or frontend bundles. Always use environment variables or a backend proxy.

Using the SDK

Pass your API key when creating the Railwail client. The SDK automatically includes it in all requests.

TypeScript

import railwail from "railwail";

// Pass your key directly
const rw = railwail("rw_live_xxxxx");

// Or use an environment variable (recommended)
const rw = railwail(process.env.RAILWAIL_API_KEY!);

Using the REST API

For direct HTTP requests, include your API key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header.

HTTP Header

Authorization: Bearer rw_live_xxxxx

javascript

const response = await fetch("https://railwail.com/api/v1/chat/completions", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": "Bearer rw_live_xxxxx",
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    model: "gpt-4o",
    messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello!" }],
  }),
});

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data.choices[0].message.content);

With the OpenAI SDK

The Railwail API is fully OpenAI-compatible. Just point the OpenAI SDK to our base URL.

javascript

import OpenAI from "openai";

const client = new OpenAI({
  apiKey: "rw_live_xxxxx",
  baseURL: "https://railwail.com/api/v1",
});

const response = await client.chat.completions.create({
  model: "gpt-4o",
  messages: [{ role: "user", content: "Hello!" }],
});

console.log(response.choices[0].message.content);

Learn more

See the OpenAI Compatibility guide for details on supported features and endpoints.

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