Authentication

How it works

Every request needs an API key passed as a Bearer token. No OAuth, no session tokens — just a single header.

1. Get your key

Sign in at console.vaidya.ai.
Go to API Keys.
Click Create API Key.
Copy the key and store it somewhere safe — you won't see it again.

2. Add it to your requests

Include the key in the Authorization header:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
Content-Type: application/json

Quick examples

import os, requests, json

response = requests.post(
    "https://api.vaidya-dev.fractal.ai/chat/completions",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['VAIDYA_API_KEY']}",
        "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    data=json.dumps({
        "model": "Vaidya-v2",
        "case": "drug_lookup",
        "messages": [
            {"role": "user", "content": "Can I take cetirizine with montelukast?"}
        ],
        "max_tokens": 200,
        "temperature": 0.2,
    }),
    timeout=60,
)

print(response.json())

curl --request POST \
  --url https://api.vaidya-dev.fractal.ai/chat/completions \
  --header "authorization: Bearer $VAIDYA_API_KEY" \
  --header "content-type: application/json" \
  --data '{
    "model": "Vaidya-v2",
    "case": "symptom_qa",
    "messages": [
      {"role": "user", "content": "Sore throat and mild fever since yesterday."}
    ],
    "max_tokens": 300,
    "temperature": 0.3
  }'

import os
from openai import OpenAI

client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["VAIDYA_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.vaidya-dev.fractal.ai",
)

resp = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="Vaidya-v2",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Can I take cetirizine with montelukast?"}],
    extra_body={"case": "drug_lookup"},
    max_tokens=200,
    temperature=0.2,
)

print(resp.choices[0].message.content)

Keep your key safe

Never hardcode API keys in client-side code or commit them to version control.

Set an environment variable instead:

export VAIDYA_API_KEY="sk-..."

Then read it at runtime:

import os
API_KEY = os.environ["VAIDYA_API_KEY"]

Tips:

Use a secrets manager (Vault, AWS Secrets Manager, etc.) in production.
Rotate keys immediately if exposed.
Use separate keys for dev, staging, and prod.

Error reference

Status	Code	What happened	What to do
401	`invalid_api_key`	Key is missing or wrong	Double-check the `Authorization` header
401	`expired_api_key`	Key was revoked or expired	Generate a new one in the console
403	`insufficient_permissions`	Key doesn't have access	Check your project/account permissions
429	`rate_limit_exceeded`	Too many requests	Back off and retry (honor `Retry-After` if present)