# Getting Started

There are several ways you can get started with the IAFCertSearch Verification Users API.

### Prerequisites

Before you can start using the API, you need to do the following:

* Create/Activate an IAF CertSearch account.
  * #### [Step-by-Step Signup Process](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/verifiers/getting-started/sign-up) <a href="#step-by-step-signup-process" id="step-by-step-signup-process"></a>
* Generating an API Key
  * To generate the API Key, go to **API Settings** from the left navigation. Under the **Generate API Key** section, click the **Generate API Key** button.
* Make sure you have curl installed on your machine.


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://support.iafcertsearch.org/verification-users-api-developer-guide/api-integration/readme.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.