Authentication

primerouter uses Bearer token authentication, fully compatible with OpenAI / Anthropic API.

Bearer token

Authorization: Bearer sk-your-key

Used by: all /v1/... endpoints.

Anthropic style

x-api-key: sk-your-key
anthropic-version: 2023-06-01

Used by: /v1/messages. The Claude SDK uses this by default.

Get a key

1. Log in at primerouter.ai
2. Console → Tokens (details)
3. After saving, copy the sk-... string — shown only once

Token attributes

Each key supports:

Attribute	Default	Description
Expiry	Never	After expiry, calls return 401
Quota cap	Use account balance	Set explicit cap to isolate cost
Model restriction	All	Only allowlisted models can be called
IP allowlist	Open	CIDR supported
Group	Default group	Affects pricing multiplier

Error states

HTTP	Meaning
401	Key invalid, deleted, or expired
403	Key valid but disabled / model not allowed / IP not in allowlist
402	Key valid but quota exhausted

Security recommendations

1. Never commit keys to a repo — use env vars or a secret manager
2. Set IP allowlist for production keys
3. One key per project — easier cost attribution
4. Use expiry + rotate periodically
5. On suspected leak — delete and recreate immediately