setup-api-key

# Vapi API Key Setup

Guide the user through obtaining and configuring a Vapi API key for the voice AI platform.

## Workflow

### Step 1: Request the API key

Tell the user:

> To set up Vapi, open the API keys page in the Vapi Dashboard: https://dashboard.vapi.ai/org/api-keys
>
> (Need an account? Create one at https://dashboard.vapi.ai/signup first)
>
> If you don't have an API key yet:
> 1. Click **"Create Key"**
> 2. Name your key (e.g., "development")
> 3. Copy the key immediately — it is only shown once
>
> Paste your API key here when ready.

Then wait for the user's next message which should contain the API key.

### Step 2: Validate and configure

Once the user provides the API key:

1. **Validate the key** by making a request:
   ```bash
   curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" https://api.vapi.ai/assistant \
     -H "Authorization: Bearer <the-api-key>"
   ```

2. **If validation fails** (non-200 response):
   - Tell the user the API key appears to be invalid
   - Ask them to double-check and try again
   - Remind them of the URL: https://dashboard.vapi.ai/org/api-keys

3. **If validation succeeds** (200 response), save the API key:

   Check if a `.env` file exists. If so, append to it. If not, create one:
   ```
   VAPI_API_KEY=<the-api-key>
   ```

4. **Confirm success:**
   > Your Vapi API key is configured and stored in `.env` as `VAPI_API_KEY`.
   >
   > You can now use Vapi's API to create assistants, make calls, and build voice AI agents.
   >
   > Keep this key safe — do not commit it to version control.

### Step 3: Verify .gitignore

Check if `.gitignore` exists and contains `.env`. If not, add it:
```
.env
```

## Environment Variable

All Vapi skills expect the API key in the `VAPI_API_KEY` environment variable. The base URL for all API requests is:

```
https://api.vapi.ai
```

Authentication is via Bearer token:
```
Authorization: Bearer $VAPI_API_KEY
```

## Additional Resources

This skills repository includes a **Vapi documentation MCP server** (`vapi-docs`) that gives your AI agent access to the full Vapi knowledge base. Use the `searchDocs` tool to look up anything beyond what this skill covers — advanced configuration, troubleshooting, SDK details, and more.

**Auto-configured:** If you cloned or installed these skills, the MCP server is already configured via `.mcp.json` (Claude Code), `.cursor/mcp.json` (Cursor), or `.vscode/mcp.json` (VS Code Copilot).

**Manual setup:** If your agent doesn't auto-detect the config, run:
```bash
claude mcp add vapi-docs -- npx -y mcp-remote https://docs.vapi.ai/_mcp/server
```

See the [README](../README.md#vapi-documentation-server-mcp) for full setup instructions across all supported agents.