> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.etherscan.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Set Up Your API Key

Every request to the Etherscan API needs an API key.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Register an Etherscan account">
    Sign up for a free account at [etherscan.io/register](https://etherscan.io/register).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create your API key">
    Open your [API dashboard](https://etherscan.io/myapikey), select **Add** to create a new API key, then copy the key and store it somewhere safe. This key can be used to access all 60+ [supported chains](/supported-chains).

    <Frame>
      <img src="https://mintcdn.com/etherscan/PrmCI8xWhLgr8YZ-/images/apikeys.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=PrmCI8xWhLgr8YZ-&q=85&s=4b49c580309cc3fe32eb03a4c903e8b4" alt="Etherscan API keys" width="1034" height="456" data-path="images/apikeys.png" />
    </Frame>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make your first call">
    Now that you have an API key, learn how to make requests across all 60+ supported chains:

    <Card title="Make Your First Call" icon="rocket" href="/make-your-first-call" horizontal>
      Run your first request, read the response, and switch chains.
    </Card>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Free API plan and limits

A free API plan allows 3 calls per second and up to 100,000 calls per day on most chains, cumulative across all the keys you have created. [Paid plans](https://etherscan.io/api/pricing) raise the rate limits, unlock access to all chains, and the Standard plan and above add PRO endpoints. See [Rate limits](/rate-limits) for the full breakdown.