How do I get a Valid Email Checker API key?

API access requires a first purchase to unlock. The smallest credit pack is $5 for 2,100 credits. Once you have made any purchase, API key generation becomes available from Account → API Access in the dashboard.

After you have made a purchase

1. Log into the dashboard and navigate to Account → API Access.
2. Click Generate New Key.
3. Give the key a descriptive name ("Production server", "Mailchimp middleware", "Local testing"). Helps if you have multiple.
4. The new key appears in a one-time-view modal. Copy it immediately — we hash and store the key, so you cannot retrieve it again after closing the modal.
5. Paste the key into your application's secrets store. Treat it like a password.

Why we only show the key once

We store API keys as a SHA-256 hash, not in plaintext. Even if our database were ever compromised, your keys are not exposed. The trade-off is that we cannot show you the key again after creation — if you lose it, generate a new one and update your application.

You can have multiple active keys simultaneously. Common pattern: one key per environment (production, staging, local dev) or one per integration. If a key is ever exposed, revoke just that key from the dashboard without disrupting the others.

Using the key

API keys go in the Authorization header as Bearer tokens:

curl -X POST https://api.validemailchecker.com/v1/verify \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer VEC_your_key_here" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"email": "test@example.com"}'