Authentication

All API requests require authentication using an API key.

Getting Your API Key

Log in to livchat.ai/dashboard
Navigate to Settings > API Keys
Click Create API Key
Copy your key immediately (it won’t be shown again)

Store your API key securely. Never expose it in client-side code or public repositories.

Using Your API Key

Include your API key in the Authorization header:

curl https://api.livchat.ai/v1/session/status \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer lc_live_YOUR_API_KEY"

API Key Types

Prefix	Environment	Usage
`lc_live_`	Production	Live WhatsApp messages
`lc_test_`	Test	Testing and development

Scopes

API keys have scopes that limit what they can access:

Scope	Access
`whatsapp:*`	Full access to all WhatsApp endpoints
`whatsapp:messages`	Send and manage messages
`whatsapp:contacts`	Access contact information
`whatsapp:session`	Manage WhatsApp session
`whatsapp:groups`	Manage groups
`whatsapp:webhook`	Configure webhooks

Error Responses

401 Unauthorized

{
  "error": {
    "code": 401,
    "message": "Invalid API key"
  }
}

Causes:

Missing Authorization header
Invalid or expired API key
Malformed key format

403 Forbidden

{
  "error": {
    "code": 403,
    "message": "API key does not have required scope: whatsapp:messages"
  }
}

Causes:

API key doesn’t have permission for the requested endpoint
Request a new key with the required scopes

Best Practices

Use environment variables

Store API keys in environment variables, not in code:

export LIVCHAT_API_KEY="lc_live_..."

Rotate keys periodically

Create new API keys and revoke old ones regularly for security.

Use minimal scopes

Only request the scopes your application needs.

Monitor usage

Check the dashboard for API key usage and suspicious activity.

Rate Limits

API requests are rate limited to ensure fair usage:

Plan	Requests/minute	Requests/day
Free	60	1,000
Pro	300	10,000
Enterprise	Custom	Custom

When rate limited, you’ll receive:

{
  "error": {
    "code": 429,
    "message": "Rate limit exceeded",
    "retryAfter": 60
  }
}

​Authentication

​Getting Your API Key

​Using Your API Key

​API Key Types

​Scopes

​Error Responses

​401 Unauthorized

​403 Forbidden

​Best Practices

​Rate Limits

Authentication

Getting Your API Key

Using Your API Key

API Key Types

Scopes

Error Responses

401 Unauthorized

403 Forbidden

Best Practices

Rate Limits