How to beginner · 3 min read

How to get Cerebras API key

Q: How to get Cerebras API key

To get a Cerebras API key, sign up for an account on the official Cerebras Cloud platform and generate your API key from the dashboard. Use this key as api_key in your Python client to authenticate requests.

Quick answer

To get a Cerebras API key, sign up for an account on the official Cerebras Cloud platform and generate your API key from the dashboard. Use this key as api_key in your Python client to authenticate requests.

PREREQUISITES

Python 3.8+
pip install openai>=1.0
Cerebras Cloud account

Setup

First, create a Cerebras Cloud account at the official website. After logging in, navigate to the API keys section in your user dashboard. Generate a new API key and copy it securely. Then, install the openai Python package if you haven't already:

bash

pip install openai>=1.0

output

Collecting openai
  Downloading openai-1.x.x-py3-none-any.whl (xx kB)
Installing collected packages: openai
Successfully installed openai-1.x.x

Step by step

Use the openai Python SDK with your Cerebras API key and the Cerebras API base URL to authenticate and call the API. Below is a complete example that sends a chat completion request to the Cerebras LLM.

python

import os
from openai import OpenAI

# Set your Cerebras API key in environment variable CEREBRAS_API_KEY
client = OpenAI(
    api_key=os.environ["CEREBRAS_API_KEY"],
    base_url="https://api.cerebras.ai/v1"
)

response = client.chat.completions.create(
    model="llama3.3-70b",
    messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Hello, Cerebras!"}]
)

print(response.choices[0].message.content)

output

Hello, Cerebras! How can I assist you today?

Common variations

You can use different Cerebras models such as llama3.1-8b by changing the model parameter. The openai SDK supports streaming responses by setting stream=True in the request. For asynchronous usage, use an async client pattern with asyncio.

python

import os
import asyncio
from openai import OpenAI

async def main():
    client = OpenAI(
        api_key=os.environ["CEREBRAS_API_KEY"],
        base_url="https://api.cerebras.ai/v1"
    )

    stream = await client.chat.completions.acreate(
        model="llama3.1-8b",
        messages=[{"role": "user", "content": "Stream a response."}],
        stream=True
    )

    async for chunk in stream:
        print(chunk.choices[0].delta.content or "", end="", flush=True)

asyncio.run(main())

output

Streaming response text appears here in real time...

Troubleshooting

If you get an authentication error, verify your CEREBRAS_API_KEY environment variable is set correctly.
If the API endpoint is unreachable, check your network and ensure you use the correct base URL https://api.cerebras.ai/v1.
For model not found errors, confirm you are using a valid Cerebras model name like llama3.3-70b.

✅

Key Takeaways

Sign up on Cerebras Cloud to generate your API key from the dashboard.
Use the official OpenAI Python SDK with the Cerebras base URL and your API key.
Set your API key securely in the environment variable CEREBRAS_API_KEY.
You can switch models or enable streaming by adjusting parameters in the SDK calls.
Check environment variables and base URL if you encounter authentication or connectivity issues.

Verified 2026-04 · llama3.3-70b, llama3.1-8b

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