> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.gistmag.co.uk/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quick Start

> Get started with the GistMag API in 5 minutes

## Prerequisites

* A GistMag account ([Sign up here](https://gistmag.co.uk/dashboard))
* An API key ([Get one here](https://gistmag.co.uk/dashboard/api-key))
* cURL or your favorite HTTP client

## Step 1: Get Your API Key

1. Sign in to your [GistMag Dashboard](https://gistmag.co.uk/dashboard)
2. Navigate to the API Keys section
3. Create a new API key
4. Copy and securely store your API key

<Warning>
  Keep your API key secure. Never commit it to version control or share it publicly.
</Warning>

## Step 2: Generate Alt Text

Generate alt text for an image with a single API call:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.gistmag.co.uk/generate \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "image_url": "https://example.com/image.jpg",
    "api_key": "your_api_key_here",
    "mode": "short"
  }'
```

<ResponseField name="alt_text" type="string">
  The generated alt text description
</ResponseField>

## Step 3: Convert Text to Speech

Convert text to speech:

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.gistmag.co.uk/tts \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "text": "Hello, this is a test of the text-to-speech API.",
    "language": "en",
    "api_key": "your_api_key_here"
  }'
```

The response will be an audio file (WAV format) that you can download or stream.

## Next Steps

* Explore the [Alt Text Generation API](/api-reference/alt-text/generate)
* Learn about [Text-to-Speech features](/api-reference/tts/introduction)
* Check your [API usage](/api-reference/management/usage)