Authentication
Authenticate every core API request with a Strix API key.
Strix accepts either of two equivalent key transports:
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_STRIX_API_KEYx-api-key: YOUR_STRIX_API_KEYBearer authentication is recommended for general HTTP clients. x-api-key is available for compatible clients that prefer a dedicated key header.
Verify a key
curl https://api.strixgate.dev/v1/me \
-H "Authorization: Bearer $STRIX_API_KEY"A valid key returns the connected user identity, key scope, and team association when present. /v1/models, completions, messages, identity, and usage all require authentication.
Dashboard sign-in is email + password (Better Auth). Use Forgot password if you cannot sign in; reset links expire in 60 minutes.
Never place a key in a URL, browser log, committed file, or generated snippet. The docs playground stores a connected key in sessionStorage, so it is scoped to the current browser tab session.
Bring your OpenRouter key
Customer inference uses your OpenRouter API key. Store it on Dashboard → Billing. Strix encrypts it at rest (AES-256-GCM) and routes virtual strix-* model ids to real OpenRouter models plus provider pins — the virtual id is never sent upstream.
When billing enforcement is on, chat returns 402 until an OpenRouter key is connected. Venice is optional: add a Venice key on the same page to pin uncensored lanes to Venice; otherwise those lanes use Hermes 4 405B (nousresearch/hermes-4-405b) on your OpenRouter key.
Memory extract and Cohere rerank also use your OpenRouter key. Without it they skip (fail-open).