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Most requests to fal require authentication. You need an API key to call any model on the Model APIs, deploy your own with Serverless, or access any private or shared endpoint. The only exception is endpoints deployed with app_auth = "public", which accept unauthenticated requests. API keys are tied to accounts, not people. If you are working under a team, the key belongs to that team and all members share it. The fal client libraries read your key automatically from the FAL_KEY environment variable, so once it is set, every SDK call and CLI command authenticates without extra configuration.

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Create Your API Key

1

Go to the Dashboard

Navigate to fal.ai/dashboard/keys
2

Generate a Key

Click Create Key and give it a name you’ll remember
3

Copy Your Key

Copy the key immediately. You will not be able to see it again

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Set Your API Key

Set your key as an environment variable: 
export FAL_KEY="your-api-key-here"
Or configure it directly in code: 
import fal_client

# The client automatically reads FAL_KEY from environment
# Or you can set it explicitly:
import os
os.environ["FAL_KEY"] = "your-api-key-here"
Best practice: Use environment variables instead of hardcoding keys in your code. This keeps your keys secure and makes it easy to use different keys for development and production.

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Key Scopes

When creating a key, you’ll choose a scope that controls what the key can access:
ScopeUse Case
APICalling any model on fal, including Model APIs and your own deployed endpoints. Also grants access to API-scoped Platform APIs.
ADMINEverything in API, plus CLI operations (fal deploy, fal run), managing apps, and accessing admin-scoped Platform APIs. Use this for Serverless deployments.
If you’re not sure which to choose, start with API scope. You can always create an additional ADMIN key later if you need to deploy models.

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Test Your Key

Verify your key works by making a simple API call: 
curl -X POST "https://fal.run/fal-ai/flux/schnell" \
  -H "Authorization: Key $FAL_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"prompt": "a cute cat"}'
If you see a response with an image URL, your key is working correctly.

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Team Keys

If you’re part of a team, make sure to select your team in the top-left corner of the dashboard before creating a key. Keys are scoped to the account (personal or team) that created them.