# Required steps to start

To use our API without any complications please follow the steps provided here.

## API-Key

The most important part to use our API is the API-Key. You can create multiple API-Keys in our back office (Customer Cockpit) for different cases. First, to start using our API you will need to create an API-Key in `Testing` mode.

Therefore just log in to our back office (Customer Cockpit) and navigate to `Configure` > [`API Keys`](https://manage.xs2a.com/configure/apikeys) inside the navigation bar on the left side.

![](https://272679900-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M8QV58EtY3_qIBQODz5%2Fuploads%2FSiktH6vTqUiIA6gIDwXR%2FConfigure.png?alt=media\&token=0266a7f6-ec82-4a8f-be7d-617e5e8607fd)

You can now create new API-Keys on the right side of the page. Please make sure to read the description and take care of the explanation for restricting IP-addresses. Also, we recommend writing some comments to have a better overview afterward.

![](https://272679900-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M8QV58EtY3_qIBQODz5%2F-MMoLC3u5XwDihIVAZel%2F-MMoObLSvOkeL_TcpSep%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=a03c3412-8776-4e80-b3c3-45986f01327d)

After you created a new API-Key you will see a new message on the page containing the Key.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Make sure to copy your new API key now. You won’t be able to see it again!**
{% endhint %}

![](https://272679900-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M8QV58EtY3_qIBQODz5%2F-MMoLC3u5XwDihIVAZel%2F-MMoPGCp3FNX3TfpReLq%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=7f0f4535-6525-4ea8-a8a5-bfc390111233)

You also have an overview of all created API keys on this page.

![](https://272679900-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-M8QV58EtY3_qIBQODz5%2F-MMoLC3u5XwDihIVAZel%2F-MMoQ37MGV5tV_pqq0aN%2Fimage.png?alt=media\&token=a63e3e98-4ca9-452b-8db8-760e531d9b04)

Continue with the [next step](https://guide.xs2a.com/xs2a/integration-cs/getting-started/use-case-integration) to check if we already have an example for your use case.

{% content-ref url="use-case-integration" %}
[use-case-integration](https://guide.xs2a.com/xs2a/integration-cs/getting-started/use-case-integration)
{% endcontent-ref %}