# Getting Started

### Receive an API key <a href="#id-2-create-an-api-key" id="id-2-create-an-api-key"></a>

You must receive an API key to authenticate your network requests.

An API key is received after setting up your account and plan on [www.sandshrew.io ](https://www.sandshrew.io/).

Additional support can be found on our Discord at <https://discord.gg/xhWzbFMmxG> or by [contacting Drorjen on telegram](https://t.me/DrorjenOYL).

### Sign up for Sandshrew

You will need an API key to interact with Sandshrew. To sign up for an account on the Sandshrew website, enter your details, and select **SIGN UP**.

<figure><img src="/files/MbLaIm7atay2AMoG2Mgh" alt=""><figcaption><p>Sign up </p></figcaption></figure>

### Choose your plan&#x20;

Get started for Free or sign up for developer or team packages to get more RPC calls. If you have unique requirements or need more calls per day, reach out to @drorjen\_oyl on telegram.&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/quQcaRFEGsSjKabnS9m2" alt=""><figcaption><p>Choose Plan</p></figcaption></figure>

### Create an API key <a href="#id-2-create-an-api-key" id="id-2-create-an-api-key"></a>

Once verified, you’ll be taken to the Sandshrew Dashboard where you can create your API key, view analytics, or raise support requests.

You must create an API key to authenticate your network requests. Click **CREATE NEW API KEY**.

From the pop-up, provide a name, then click **CREATE**.

<figure><img src="/files/sUkdzQdaUPInlxLLTOsj" alt=""><figcaption><p>Get your key</p></figcaption></figure>

## Testing

Once you have your API key, you can query the RPC with a command similar to the following:

```
curl https://mainnet.sandshrew.io/v1/YOUR-API-KEY \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{
    "jsonrpc": "2.0", 
    "id": 1, 
    "method": "esplora_blocks:tip:height",
    "params": []
}'
```

Your API key grants you access to all SANDSHREW namespaces, for all networks supported by SANDSHREW, identified by the subdomain in the URI. In the preceding example, the RPC will serve data for the signet network.

## Network Endpoints

### Querying the RPC <a href="#querying-the-rpc" id="querying-the-rpc"></a>

To fetch data, create an HTTPS POST request to any one of the following endpoints with the following header set:`Content-Type: application/json`and with the request, submit a JSON-RPC payload as the POST data containing your method call.

### Bitcoin <a href="#bitcoin" id="bitcoin"></a>

`https://mainnet.sandshrew.io/v1/YOUR-API-KEYhttps://signet.sandshrew.io/v1/YOUR-API-KEYhttps://testnet.sandshrew.io/v1/YOUR-API-KEY`

### Dogecoin <a href="#dogecoin" id="dogecoin"></a>

`https://dogecoin-mainnet.sandshrew.io/v1/YOUR-API-KEYhttps://dogecoin-testnet.sandshrew.io/v1/YOUR-API-KEY`*(Dogecoin endpoints currently do not support the `esplora` or `ord` namespaces)*


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.sandshrew.io/welcome-to-sandshrew/getting-started.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.