---
title: "Create a fresh org and first API key (developer self-service)"
method: POST
path: "/signup"
tags: ["self-service"]
---

# Create a fresh org and first API key (developer self-service)

`POST /signup`

## Request

- Base URL: `https://api.getmetacognition.com` (the document declares no server; this is the origin it was published from)
- URL: `https://api.getmetacognition.com/signup`
- Auth: none declared
- TypeScript: <https://skmtc.dev/metacognition/apis/tex-api/docs/signup/post.ts> (a function with typed inputs; its response is checked against the schema)

Open endpoint: anyone can create an org and get an API key.

For launch we keep this unauthenticated and unverified — abuse mitigation
is via the per-org daily token quota (one bad actor only burns their own
free-tier budget). Email verification + GitHub OAuth come with the
dashboard.

## Request body

- SignupRequest
  - `org_id` string, nullable: Optional org id (3-64 characters of lowercase a-z, 0-9, '-' or '_', starting with a letter or digit); auto-generated when omitted.
  - `name` string, nullable: Optional label for the first key

## Response `201`

Successful Response

- SignupResponse
  - `org_id` string, required
  - `user_id` string, required
  - `key` APIKeyOut, required: Public view of an API key. Never includes plaintext.
    - `id` string, required
    - `prefix` string, required: Literal prefix string, e.g. tex_live_
    - `display_id` string, nullable: First 8 random chars of the key body, for visual id
    - `name` string, nullable
    - `scopes` string[]
    - `is_active` boolean, required
    - `created_at` string, date-time, required
    - `last_used_at` string, date-time, nullable
    - `revoked_at` string, date-time, nullable
  - `api_key` string, required

## Other responses

- `422`: Validation Error

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/metacognition/apis/tex-api.md) - [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/metacognition/apis/tex-api/llms.txt) - [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc.dev/metacognition/apis/tex-api/revisions/3bef47e50f2e?raw)