ElevenLabs API Authentication

Comprehensive authentication setup for ElevenLabs voice AI platform including SDK installation, API key management, environment configuration, and connection testing.

Overview

This skill provides:

• Automated SDK installation for TypeScript and Python
• Secure API key configuration with environment variables
• Connection testing and validation scripts
• Production-ready client templates
• Complete authentication examples for Next.js and Python projects

Authentication Method

ElevenLabs uses API key authentication via HTTP headers:

xi-api-key: YOUR_ELEVENLABS_API_KEY

Security Requirements:

• API keys must be stored in environment variables (never hardcoded)
• Keys should never be exposed in client-side code
• Each key can have endpoint restrictions and credit quotas

Scripts

All scripts are fully functional and production-ready:

1. setup-auth.sh

Configures ELEVENLABS_API_KEY in .env file with validation.

bash scripts/setup-auth.sh [api-key]

2. test-connection.sh

Tests API connectivity using curl and validates credentials.

bash scripts/test-connection.sh

3. install-sdk.sh

Installs @elevenlabs/elevenlabs-js (TypeScript) or elevenlabs (Python) SDK.

bash scripts/install-sdk.sh [typescript|python]

4. validate-env.sh

Validates .env file has required ELEVENLABS_API_KEY.

bash scripts/validate-env.sh

5. generate-client.sh

Generates API client boilerplate from templates.

bash scripts/generate-client.sh [typescript|python] [output-path]

Templates

All templates are production-ready and fully implemented:

Environment Configuration

• templates/.env.template - Environment variable template with all required keys

TypeScript Templates

• templates/api-client.ts.template - ElevenLabs client with error handling
• templates/api-client-nextjs.ts.template - Next.js server-side client
• templates/api-client-edge.ts.template - Edge runtime compatible client

Python Templates

• templates/api-client.py.template - ElevenLabs client with error handling
• templates/api-client-async.py.template - Async client with connection pooling
• templates/api-client-fastapi.py.template - FastAPI integration client

Examples

All examples include complete README.md files with step-by-step instructions:

Basic Usage Examples

• examples/nextjs-auth/README.md - Complete Next.js authentication example

  • Environment setup
  • Server action implementation
  • API route handler
  • Error handling patterns

• examples/python-auth/README.md - Complete Python authentication example

  • Environment configuration
  • Client initialization
  • Error handling
  • Connection testing

• examples/edge-runtime/README.md - Edge runtime authentication example

  • Vercel Edge Functions setup
  • Cloudflare Workers setup
  • Deno Deploy setup
  • Environment variable access

Advanced Examples

• examples/multi-environment/README.md - Multi-environment configuration (dev, staging, prod)

  • Environment-specific API keys
  • Configuration management
  • Platform-specific setup (Vercel, Railway, Fly.io)

• examples/api-key-rotation/README.md - API key rotation patterns

  • Zero-downtime rotation strategies
  • Dual-key pattern implementation
  • Automated rotation scripts

Usage Instructions

Initial Setup

1. Install SDK:

   # For TypeScript projects
   bash scripts/install-sdk.sh typescript
   
   # For Python projects
   bash scripts/install-sdk.sh python
   

2. Configure API Key:

   # Interactive setup
   bash scripts/setup-auth.sh
   
   # Or provide key directly
   bash scripts/setup-auth.sh sk_your_api_key_here
   

3. Test Connection:

   bash scripts/test-connection.sh
   

4. Generate Client:

   # TypeScript
   bash scripts/generate-client.sh typescript src/lib/elevenlabs.ts
   
   # Python
   bash scripts/generate-client.sh python src/elevenlabs_client.py
   

Integration Workflow

For Next.js projects:

1. Run bash scripts/install-sdk.sh typescript
2. Run bash scripts/setup-auth.sh
3. Read examples/nextjs-auth/README.md for integration guide
4. Generate client: bash scripts/generate-client.sh typescript src/lib/elevenlabs.ts

For Python projects:

1. Run bash scripts/install-sdk.sh python
2. Run bash scripts/setup-auth.sh
3. Read examples/python-auth/README.md for integration guide
4. Generate client: bash scripts/generate-client.sh python src/elevenlabs_client.py

For FastAPI projects:

1. Run bash scripts/install-sdk.sh python
2. Run bash scripts/setup-auth.sh
3. Use template: templates/api-client-fastapi.py.template

Validation

Validate your setup:

# Check environment variables
bash scripts/validate-env.sh

# Test API connection
bash scripts/test-connection.sh

Security Best Practices

1. Never commit .env files - Add to .gitignore
2. Use environment-specific keys - Different keys for dev/staging/prod
3. Rotate keys regularly - Follow key rotation patterns in examples
4. Set endpoint restrictions - Configure in ElevenLabs dashboard
5. Monitor credit usage - Set custom credit quotas per key

Troubleshooting

API Key Not Found:

• Run bash scripts/validate-env.sh
• Ensure .env file exists in project root
• Check environment variable is loaded (dotenv)

Connection Failed:

• Run bash scripts/test-connection.sh for detailed diagnostics
• Verify API key is valid in ElevenLabs dashboard
• Check network connectivity and firewall rules

SDK Installation Failed:

• Ensure Node.js/npm (for TypeScript) or Python/pip (for Python) is installed
• Check package.json or requirements.txt exists
• Run with verbose flag: bash -x scripts/install-sdk.sh typescript

References

• ElevenLabs Authentication Docs
• ElevenLabs Quickstart
• TypeScript SDK Docs
• Python SDK Docs