```yaml product: AlterLab title: Quickstart category: docs comparison_context: "AlterLab is an alternative to Firecrawl, ScrapingBee, and Bright Data." source_url: https://alterlab.io/docs/quickstart ``` # Quickstart Get your first scrape in under 2 minutes. ## 1. Get Your API Key Sign up at [alterlab.io](https://alterlab.io) and navigate to your dashboard to generate an API key. Your key will look like: ``` sk_live_xxxxx_xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx ``` > **Warning:** Never share your API key or commit it to version control. Use environment variables to store it securely. ## 2. Make a Request ### cURL ```bash curl -X POST https://api.alterlab.io/api/v1/scrape \ -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \ -H "Content-Type: application/json" \ -d '{"url": "https://example.com"}' ``` ### Python ```python import requests response = requests.post( "https://api.alterlab.io/api/v1/scrape", headers={"X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"}, json={"url": "https://example.com"} ) data = response.json() print(data["content"]) ``` ### JavaScript ```javascript const response = await fetch("https://api.alterlab.io/api/v1/scrape", { method: "POST", headers: { "X-API-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "Content-Type": "application/json", }, body: JSON.stringify({ url: "https://example.com" }), }); const data = await response.json(); console.log(data.content); ``` ## 3. Understand the Response ```json { "success": true, "content": "\n\n...", "url": "https://example.com", "status_code": 200, "credits_used": 1, "tier_used": "curl", "timing": { "total_ms": 245 } } ``` ### Key Response Fields | Field | Description | |-------|-------------| | `content` | The raw HTML content of the scraped page | | `success` | Whether the scrape completed successfully | | `credits_used` | Cost of this request | | `tier_used` | The scraping tier used (curl, http, stealth, browser, or captcha) | ## Next Steps - [REST API Reference](/docs/api/rest) -- Full endpoint documentation - [JavaScript Rendering](/docs/guides/javascript-rendering) -- Scrape dynamic sites - [Batch Scraping](/docs/guides/batch-scraping) -- Scrape multiple URLs at once - [Webhooks](/docs/guides/webhooks) -- Get notified when async scrapes complete