> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/verification-users-api-developer-guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://support.iafcertsearch.org/verification-users-api-developer-guide/api-integration/readme.md).

# 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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