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

# Get Started

This guide will help you set up the required API keys and environment variables for using Hedra Realtime Avatars.

***

## Livekit Project Setup

1. Create a [Livekit](https://livekit.io/) account.
2. Create a project through your [Livekit dashboard](https://cloud.livekit.io/projects).
3. Navigate to Settings → API Keys and save your project credentials to a `.env` file:

```env theme={null}
LIVEKIT_URL="wss://<project_name>.livekit.cloud"
LIVEKIT_API_KEY="<livekit_api_key>"
LIVEKIT_API_SECRET="<livekit_api_secret>"
```

***

## Hedra API Access

1. Create a [Hedra](https://www.hedra.com/) account.
2. [Subscribe to a paid plan](https://www.hedra.com/plans) in order to gain API access.
3. Navigate to your [API profile page](https://www.hedra.com/api-profile) to generate an API key.
4. Add your API key to the `.env` file created earlier:

```env theme={null}
HEDRA_API_KEY="<hedra_api_key>"
```

***

## OpenAI API Access

1. Go to [OpenAI](https://platform.openai.com/) and follow instructions for generating a **paid** API key.
2. Add your API key to the `.env` file created earlier:

```env theme={null}
OPENAI_API_KEY="<openai_api_key>"
```