Authentication
Chord’s API is open to read. Authentication exists to give you a limit of your own and to meter what you use.
The key
Section titled “The key”Create a key on getchord.xyz/developer after a Google sign-in, or in Ask (sign in at getchord.xyz/ask, Settings, API Key). Both pages issue the same kind of key, valid for the data API and for Ask. It is shown once. Send it on every request as a header:
curl -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_KEY" https://api.getchord.xyz/v1/arc/trendingA missing or unknown key is not rejected on read endpoints: the request simply gets the anonymous per-IP limit. Only two things require a key:
POST /v1/ask— the Ask agent API (a Google session bearer also works; that is what the browser uses).?only=on/v1/quote— a single-venue debug lever that bypasses the routing safety gates.
Check what a key can do with GET /v1/me:
{ "email": "[email protected]", "tier": "build", "limits": { "rpm": 100, "monthly": 16000, "priceUsd": 99, "label": "Build" }, "usage": { "today": 812, "month": 9210 } }Keys in browsers
Section titled “Keys in browsers”CORS is open, so a browser can send X-API-Key directly. A key in a public bundle is a key anyone can copy; if the limit matters to you, call the API from your server or a small proxy and keep the key there. Reads that need no limit can go straight from the browser without a key.
Sessions
Section titled “Sessions”The Chord app signs users in with Google and mints a short bearer (nts_…) for its own surfaces: the developer page, the Ask chat, reports and LP alerts. Agents and integrations do not use sessions; use a key.
| Plan | Requests a minute | Calls in any 30 days | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 60 | 300 | $0 |
| Build | 100 | 16,000 | $99 a month |
| Grow | 150 | 144,000 | $696 a month |
| Enterprise | custom | custom | talk to us |
Every key starts on Free. A plan covers all keys on an account together: their calls are counted as one, over the trailing 30 days, and a call past the package answers 429 QUOTA_EXCEEDED until the window has room again. No endpoint is paywalled; plans change how much you can call.
Build and Grow are bought in the app, under Settings, API Key: one transfer of USDC (on Arc, Base, Monad, Avalanche, BNB Chain, Arbitrum or Ethereum) or of USDG (on Robinhood Chain) from your Chord wallet or from any other wallet. A plan runs 30 days, or a year at 20% less, and does not renew by itself. See the pricing page.