> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://terminal49.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Start Here: Track Shipments with the Terminal49 API

> Set up Terminal49 API access, generate an API key, and make your first tracking request to start monitoring ocean shipments and containers.

Ready to start tracking your ocean shipments and containers? Follow this guide to get up and running.

The Terminal49 API uses [JSON:API](https://jsonapi.org/) schema. [Client libraries](https://jsonapi.org/implementations/#client-libraries) are available in almost every language and work with the API out of the box.

You can use any HTTP client to interact with the API. [Postman](https://www.postman.com/) is a good option — it provides a graphical interface and supports the OpenAPI specs published with the API. Use the collection below to test endpoints with your API key.

<Card icon="caret-right" href="https://www.postman.com/terminal49-api/terminal49-api/collection/x2podso/terminal49-api-reference-public">
  **Run in Postman**
</Card>

***

## Get an API key

Sign in to your Terminal49 account and go to the [developer portal](https://app.terminal49.com/developers/api-keys) to get your API key.

### Authentication

When passing your API key it should be prefixed with `Token`. For example, if your API key is 'ABC123' then your Authorization header would look like:

```
"Authorization": "Token ABC123"
```