This guide helps you make your first API calls to the Writer API. You’ll create an API key in AI Studio and begin making API calls to generate text using the chat completion endpoint.

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Get an API key

Before you can make API calls, you need to create an API key in AI Studio.
  1. From the AI Studio home page, click Build an agent. Select Build an agent from the AI Studio home page
  2. Select API. Select API as the agent type
  3. Click on the title to edit it and provide a short description of your app to help you keep track of what it does. Click on the title to edit it and provide a short app description to help you keep track of what it does
  4. Under API keys there is a key named Production. Click Reveal key to view the key.Click "Reveal key" to view the API key and provide a short app description to help you keep track of what it does
Store the API key in a secure location. We recommend using a .env file to store the key.
You can now make calls to the Writer API using this API key as the Bearer token in the header: 
Authorization: Bearer <api-key>
Learn more about managing API keys in the API keys guide.

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Make your first API call

Below is an example of an API call to the chat completion endpoint. It completes a single-turn chat completion, where the user provides a message and the AI assistant generates a response. The request is non-streaming and waits until the response is complete before returning. 
curl --location 'https://api.writer.com/v1/chat' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>' \
--data '{
    "model": "palmyra-x5",
    "messages": [
        {
            "role": "user",
            "content": "Write a one sentence product description for a cozy, stylish sweater suitable for both casual and formal occasions"
        }
    ]
}'
The response is a JSON object with a choices array. The message.content field of the first choice contains the generated text. The message.role field indicates that the message is an AI assistant message. 
{
  "id": "78766762-bd30-4a42-bb2b-e0b35c608217",
  "object": "chat.completion",
  "choices": [
    {
      "index": 0,
      "finish_reason": "stop",
      "message": {
        "content": "This versatile, cozy sweater blends warmth and elegance with its soft knit and refined design, making it perfect for both casual days and formal evenings.",
        "role": "assistant",
        "tool_calls": null,
        "graph_data": {
          "sources": null,
          "status": null,
          "subqueries": null
        },
        "llm_data": null,
        "image_data": null,
        "refusal": null
      },
      "logprobs": null
    }
  ],
  "created": 1740711212,
  "model": "palmyra-x5",
  "usage": {
    "prompt_tokens": 50,
    "total_tokens": 79,
    "completion_tokens": 29,
    "prompt_token_details": null,
    "completion_tokens_details": null
  },
  "system_fingerprint": "v1",
  "service_tier": null
}
In a streaming response, the structure of the response is similar. However, the content of the streamed response is returned in a choices[0].delta.content field, rather than the choices[0].message.content field. Learn more about streaming responses in the chat completion guide.
You can customize your request to the chat completion endpoint by adding or updating parameters to the request body. Learn more about the different parameters in the chat completion endpoint API reference.

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Next steps

Now that you’ve made your first API call, learn how to use the Writer SDKs to make calls to the Writer API in your applications. Or, learn more about building with the chat completion endpoint: