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

# Quickstart

> Build with Clay from your coding agent, or call the Clay API from your own applications.

There are two ways to use Clay as a developer: install the agent plugin to build with Clay inside your coding agent, or call the Public API directly from your own applications and services.

## Agent plugin

The agent plugin gives your coding agent Clay's skills and the `clay` CLI — the fastest way to build with Clay from a coding agent.

It requires a coding-agent host with a shell — Claude Code, Codex, or Cursor — and doesn't work in general-purpose chat apps like Claude Desktop, claude.ai, or ChatGPT that can't run the CLI.

Copy this into your agent of choice and let it install and set up the plugin for you:

```
Set up the Clay plugin by following the steps in
https://github.com/clay-run/agent-plugins
```

This runs the plugin's `setup` skill, which puts `clay` on your PATH, signs you in, and verifies the CLI. Sign-in opens a browser to authorize the CLI.

<Card title="Agent plugin repository" href="https://github.com/clay-run/agent-plugins">
  Manual install and setup instructions for Claude Code, Codex, and Cursor.
</Card>

## API

Use the Public API to call Clay from your own applications and services — backend jobs, internal tools, queues, and product features. Requests authenticate with a Clay API key in the `clay-api-key` header.

<Card title="API reference" href="/api-reference/me/get-the-authenticated-user">
  Endpoint paths, request bodies, response schemas, and an interactive try-it console.
</Card>

### Get an API key

You can create an API key two ways:

* Ask your agent to generate one for you after installing the [agent plugin](#agent-plugin).
* Create one yourself in Clay under [Settings → Account → API keys (beta)](https://app.clay.com/workspaces/~/settings/account?accountTab=api-keys-beta).

Keep keys server-side. Do not expose them in browser code, mobile apps, public repositories, logs, or analytics tools. See [Authentication](/public-api/authentication) for details.


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