> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://factory-apigettingstarted.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Getting Started

> Authenticate with the Factory Public API and make your first request.

The Factory Public API exposes the same primitives that power the Droid CLI and Factory App: computers, sessions, and organization configuration. Use it to provision Droid environments, drive sessions programmatically, and manage org-level resources from your own systems.

***

## Authentication

All requests require a Factory API key in the `Authorization` header:

```bash theme={null}
Authorization: Bearer fk-your-api-key
```

### Generate an API key

1. Sign in to the Factory App at <a href="https://app.factory.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" className="url-plain">app.factory.ai</a>.
2. Open <a href="https://app.factory.ai/settings/api-keys" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer" className="url-plain">app.factory.ai/settings/api-keys</a>.
3. Click **Create API key**, give it a descriptive name, and copy the value (it begins with `fk-`).

The key is shown once. Store it in a secrets manager or environment variable. Treat it like a password: do not commit it to source control or paste it into shared logs.

```bash theme={null}
export FACTORY_API_KEY="fk-your-api-key"
```

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/factory-apigettingstarted/-K2yJrlp23IL3EZa/images/web/api-keys-page.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=-K2yJrlp23IL3EZa&q=85&s=9d7f8d0d336d50189d8c5e840af6c94b" alt="Factory API keys settings page" width="2404" height="1462" data-path="images/web/api-keys-page.png" />

### Permissions

Only users with **Manager** or **Owner** roles can create API keys and call the Public API. Members and guests will receive a `403 Forbidden` response.

API keys inherit the role of the user who created them. Revoke keys from [app.factory.ai/settings/api-keys](https://app.factory.ai/settings/api-keys) when team members change roles or leave the organization.

***

## Available Endpoints

The Public API is grouped into three resource families:

| Group          | Description                                                                 |
| :------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `Computers`    | Provision, list, restart, and delete persistent Droid computer environments |
| `Sessions`     | Create sessions, post messages, and inspect session history                 |
| `Organization` | Manage org users, usage limits, and enterprise control history              |

Browse the endpoint reference under each group in the left sidebar.

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="List Computers" href="/api-reference/computers/list-computers" icon="server">
    See existing Droid computer environments in your organization
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create a Session" href="/api-reference/sessions/create-a-session" icon="play">
    Drive a Droid programmatically from your own systems
  </Card>

  <Card title="Manage Organization Users" href="/api-reference/organization/list-organization-users" icon="users-gear">
    Invite, remove, and configure org members for admin workflows
  </Card>
</CardGroup>