Authentication

API keys, Bearer tokens, and access control.

PolyData uses API keys for authentication. Pass your key as a Bearer token in the Authorization header on every request.

Getting an API key

curl -X POST https://api.polydata.live/v1/register

Or visit the Dashboard and click Create API key.

Using your key

curl https://api.polydata.live/v1/orderbook?asset_id=xxx \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer pd_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx"

API keys start with pd_live_.

Security best practices

Never commit API keys to version control. Treat them like passwords.

• Store keys in environment variables or secrets managers
• Use a different key per environment (dev, staging, prod)
• Rotate keys if you suspect compromise (regenerate from dashboard)

Example: environment variables

.env

POLYDATA_API_KEY=pd_live_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Public vs authenticated endpoints

Endpoint	Auth required
/v1/register	No
/v1/markets	No
/v1/markets/stats	No
/v1/me	Yes
/v1/billing/*	Yes
All /v1/orderbook/*	Yes
All /v1/ohlcv, /v1/price*	Yes
All /v1/ticks*	Yes
/v1/execution-price	Yes

Errors

401 Unauthorized

You forgot the Authorization header or the key is invalid.

{
  "detail": {
    "error": "invalid_api_key",
    "message": "Invalid API key. Check your key or register at https://polydata.live/register"
  }
}

403 Forbidden

Your plan doesn’t grant access to the requested data range.

{
  "detail": {
    "error": "data_access_denied",
    "message": "Your plan (free) only allows access to the last 0 day(s) of data.",
    "plan": "free",
    "earliest_allowed": "2026-05-26T00:00:00+00:00"
  }
}

429 Too Many Requests

You hit your daily rate limit. Upgrade or wait for reset (UTC midnight).

{
  "detail": {
    "error": "rate_limit_exceeded",
    "message": "Daily request limit (100) exceeded.",
    "limit": 100,
    "plan": "free"
  }
}