Step 1: Navigate to Homepage
Start by visiting https://tinfoil.sh/ and click the “Get Started” button in the top right corner.
Step 2: Log In or Sign Up
Create an account with your email or one of the social connections. If you already have an account, click “Sign in” instead.
Step 3: Access Your Dashboard
Once logged in, click the “Dashboard” button in the top right corner. The dashboard opens on the Products page.
Step 4: Activate Private Inference
Find the Private Inference product card and click the “Activate” button to activate your API subscription. On smaller screens, select the “API Access” tab on the Products page to see the card.
Step 5: Add a Payment Method
If you don’t have a payment method on file yet, you’re redirected to a checkout page to enter your card details. You’re only charged based on usage. If you already have a payment method on file, this step is skipped.
Step 6: Copy Your Default API Key
Once activation completes, a “You’re all set!” dialog appears. It creates a “Default API key” for you and adds $1 in API credits to your account. Click the eye button to reveal the key or the copy button to copy it. You can also copy the setup prompt to hand to an AI coding agent. Click “Go to Dashboard” to continue to the API Keys page.
Step 7: Create Additional API Keys
Select “API Keys” in the sidebar and click “Create API key”. Enter a name, then optionally set an expiration, token limits, or a spend limit. Click “Create API key” to finish.
Use descriptive names like “Production”, “Development”, or “Mobile App” to easily identify your keys later.
Step 8: Copy Your API Key
Your new API key appears in the list. Hover over the key and click the copy button to copy it, or the eye button to reveal the full key. Use “Edit” to rename a key or change its limits, and “Delete” to revoke it.
Step 9: Manage Billing
Select “Billing” in the sidebar to view your current spend, manage subscriptions and payment methods, redeem promo codes, and review transactions. The Overview section also lets you set a usage limit that pauses API access once spending in the current billing period reaches it.
