> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs-staging.poolside.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# API overview

> Get started with the Poolside OpenAI-compatible API and CLI automation authentication.

Poolside provides an OpenAI-compatible API for model requests. You can also use API keys with the Poolside Agent CLI in non-interactive environments, such as scripts and CI jobs.

API requests use the base URL configured for your Poolside deployment:

```text theme={null}
https://<api-domain>
```

For CLI authentication, use the API URL you pass to `pool login --api-url <api-url>` or set with `POOLSIDE_API_URL`. For more information, see [Install Poolside Agent CLI](/cli/install#ci-and-automation).

Use the `/openai/v1` base path to send chat completion requests, list available models, stream responses, and use tool calling with Poolside models.

## Get started

To start using the OpenAI-compatible API:

1. Create or provide an API key. See [Authentication](/api/authentication).
2. Use the `/openai/v1` base path for model requests.
3. Follow the [OpenAI-compatible API examples](/api/openai-api-examples).

For CLI automation, set `POOLSIDE_API_KEY` before running `pool exec`. See [Automated mode](/cli/automated-mode#basic-usage).