> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/konhi/elevenlabs-speech-to-text-api-ui/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API Setup

> Configure your ElevenLabs API key for Speech-to-Text transcription

## Getting Your API Key

To use the ElevenLabs Speech-to-Text Playground, you need an ElevenLabs API key. This key authenticates your requests to the Scribe API.

### Where to Find Your API Key

1. Sign up or log in to your [ElevenLabs account](https://elevenlabs.io)
2. Navigate to your account settings or API section
3. Copy your API key

<Warning>
  Never share your API key publicly or commit it to version control. Keep it secure and private.
</Warning>

## Using Your API Key

The playground requires you to enter your API key in the transcription form before you can process audio files.

### In the UI

The API key is entered through a password-protected input field:

```tsx theme={null}
<Input
  id="apiKey"
  type="password"
  placeholder="Enter your API key"
  value={apiKey}
  onChange={handleApiKeyChange}
  required
/>
```

The key is stored in component state and used to initialize the ElevenLabs client:

```tsx theme={null}
const browserClient = new ElevenLabsClient({ apiKey });
```

### API Client Initialization

When you submit a transcription request, the playground creates an ElevenLabs client with your API key:

```tsx theme={null}
const browserClient = new ElevenLabsClient({ apiKey });
const transcriptResponse = await browserClient.speechToText.convert({
  file,
  modelId: options.modelId || "scribe_v2",
  languageCode: options.languageCode || undefined,
  // ... other options
});
```

<Info>
  The API key is only stored in browser memory during your session. It is never persisted to local storage or sent anywhere except to the ElevenLabs API.
</Info>

## Security Best Practices

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="How is the API key stored?">
    The API key is stored in React component state during your session. It is never:

    * Saved to local storage
    * Saved to cookies
    * Persisted between page refreshes
    * Sent to any third-party services

    You must re-enter your API key each time you reload the page.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if my API key is compromised?">
    If you believe your API key has been compromised:

    1. Immediately regenerate your API key in your ElevenLabs account
    2. Update any applications using the old key
    3. Review your API usage logs for unauthorized activity
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I use environment variables?">
    This is a client-side application that runs in your browser. For security reasons, you should not embed API keys in environment variables that get bundled into client-side code.

    If you're deploying this application, consider implementing a backend proxy that securely stores and uses the API key on behalf of the frontend.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Error Handling

If your API key is invalid or expired, you'll receive an error message when attempting to transcribe:

```tsx theme={null}
try {
  const browserClient = new ElevenLabsClient({ apiKey });
  const transcriptResponse = await browserClient.speechToText.convert({
    // ... options
  });
} catch (err: unknown) {
  const apiErrorMessage = getElevenLabsErrorMessage(err);
  const fallbackMessage = err instanceof Error ? err.message : "An error occurred";
  setError(apiErrorMessage ?? fallbackMessage);
}
```

Common API key errors:

* **401 Unauthorized**: Invalid or missing API key
* **403 Forbidden**: API key doesn't have permission for this operation
* **429 Too Many Requests**: Rate limit exceeded for your API key

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Transcription Options" icon="sliders" href="/configuration/transcription-options">
    Configure model, language, timestamps, and speaker detection
  </Card>

  <Card title="Advanced Settings" icon="gears" href="/configuration/advanced-settings">
    Set up keyterms, entity detection, temperature, and seed
  </Card>
</CardGroup>