How to configure API keys¶

The pipeline consumes several academic APIs and LLM models. This guide covers how to obtain and configure each key in .env.

The `.env` file¶

Copy the template and fill it in:

cp .env.example .env

Never commit .env

It's in .gitignore. No inline comments — they go with # on separate lines. If a key leaks, revoke it and generate a new one.

Pipeline keys¶

Variable	Purpose	Where to get it	Cost
`ANTHROPIC_API_KEY`	Orchestrator + Claude sub-agents	Anthropic Console	$$$
`OPENALEX_API_KEY`	Literature search	openalex.org	Free (works without key)
`SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY`	Style calibration	semanticscholar.org/product/api	Free (recommended)
`BELICO_API_EMAIL`	Polite pool (10x capacity)	your email	Free
`SUPABASE_URL` + `SERVICE_KEY`	reference_papers, patents	supabase.com	Optional
`ZOTERO_API_KEY` + `ZOTERO_USER_ID`	Curated library	zotero.org/settings/keys	Free
`PEER_EMAIL` + `PEER_PASSWORD`	Seismic ground motions	ngawest2.berkeley.edu	Free

Minimum keys¶

For the basic pipeline you only need:

OPENALEX_API_KEY=          # optional — free tier works without key
SEMANTIC_SCHOLAR_API_KEY=  # optional but recommended
BELICO_API_EMAIL=your_email@example.com  # raises OpenAlex/SS capacity

Polite pool¶

Setting BELICO_API_EMAIL makes OpenAlex and Semantic Scholar recognize the client and raise capacity 10x. It's free and highly recommended. See Cache and rate limiter.

Verify they work¶

belico smoke-check            # real API check
belico smoke-check --apis openalex,crossref   # specific subset
belico smoke-check --json-output              # for CI

Keyless APIs¶

Several APIs work without credentials on the free tier:

OpenAlex — free tier without key (with BELICO_API_EMAIL for polite pool).
CrossRef — public, no key.
Unpaywall — only requires email.

See the detail of each API in Academic APIs.