Setting Up the Lipi.ai Developer API
Integrate font identification and URL compliance scanning into your own apps. This guide walks you through applying for access, generating your key, and making your first request.
What You Get
- 10 free credits every month — no credit card required. Credits reset on the 1st of each month.
- Font Identification API — upload an image (base64) and get ranked font matches with confidence scores and licensing info.
- URL Scan API — scan any URL to detect fonts in use and flag licensing issues. Results are cached for 7 days and cache hits are free.
- Async job pattern — submit a job, poll for results. 60 requests/minute rate limit.
- Need more? Subscribe for 100 credits/month at $75. Unused credits roll over.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Submit an application
Go to Dashboard → Developer API and fill out the application form. You'll need to provide:
- Use case — describe how you plan to use the API (required). Be specific; this speeds up review.
- Expected monthly volume — helps us understand if you need the free tier or a subscription.
- Company / Website — optional but helpful for context.
Wait for approval
After you submit, you'll see an “Application Under Review” screen. Most applications are reviewed within 24 hours. You'll get an email once a decision is made.
Generate your API key
Once approved, return to Developer API and click Generate API Key. You'll immediately receive 10 free credits.
Save your key — it's shown only once
Your full API key (prefixed lpi_) is displayed in an amber banner. Copy it immediately and store it somewhere secure — a password manager, environment file, or secrets store. For security, we never show the full key again after this screen.
Lost your key? You can revoke it from the dashboard and generate a new one. The old key will immediately stop working.
Monitor your credits and usage
Your dashboard shows three key numbers:
- Free Credits — remaining free credits this month. Resets on the 1st.
- Paid Credits — subscription credits. Rolls over month-to-month.
- Total Requests — lifetime request count.
Below that you'll find your masked key, a Quick Start code snippet, and a Recent Usage table with timestamps, endpoints, credit sources, and HTTP status codes.
Make your first request
Authenticate every request with the x-api-key header. Here's a font identification request:
# Step 1: Submit an image for identification
curl -X POST https://api.lipi.ai/v3/font-match \
-H "x-api-key: lpi_YOUR_KEY_HERE" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"image": "data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgo..."}'
# Response:
# {
# "job_id": "a1b2c3...",
# "status": "pending",
# "credits_charged": 1,
# "credits_remaining": 0,
# "free_credits_remaining": 9,
# "poll_url": "/v3/font-match/a1b2c3..."
# }
# Step 2: Poll for results (usually ready in ~10s)
curl https://api.lipi.ai/v3/font-match/a1b2c3... \
-H "x-api-key: lpi_YOUR_KEY_HERE"For URL scanning:
curl -X POST https://api.lipi.ai/v3/url-scan \
-H "x-api-key: lpi_YOUR_KEY_HERE" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"url": "https://example.com"}'Prefer Postman? Download the official collection: Lipi-Enterprise-API.postman_collection.json
Subscribe for more volume (optional)
Hit your monthly free credits? Click Subscribe — $75/mo on your dashboard to get 100 credits every billing cycle. Unused credits roll over, so you never lose what you've paid for. You can cancel anytime — remaining credits stay available until they're used.
Buy additional credits (subscribers only)
Need more than your monthly 100? As a subscriber you can buy additional packs of 100 credits for $60 — a discounted rate only available to active subscribers. Click Buy 100 Credits — $60 on your dashboard and complete the one-time Stripe checkout. Credits are added instantly and roll over.
How Credits Are Used
When you make a request, credits are deducted in this order:
- Free credits first (up to 10/month) — reset automatically on the 1st of each calendar month the first time you make a request.
- Paid credits next — only used once free credits are exhausted. These roll over month-to-month. Subscribers can buy extra packs of 100 credits for $60 each.
- Cache hits are free — if you scan a URL that's been scanned in the last 7 days, we return the cached result at zero cost.
Every response includes credits_charged, credits_remaining, and free_credits_remaining so you always know where you stand.
Troubleshooting
401 Unauthorized
Your key is missing, malformed, or has been revoked. Check that you're sending the x-api-key header (not Authorization) and that the key starts with lpi_.
402 Payment Required / Out of credits
You've used all your free and paid credits. Either wait for the monthly free reset, subscribe for 100 more credits, or upgrade your subscription tier for overage capacity.
429 Too Many Requests
You exceeded the 60 requests/minute limit. Back off for a few seconds and retry. For consistently high volume, reach out to us about a higher rate limit.
Job stuck on PENDING for more than 60 seconds
Most jobs finish in under 15 seconds. If a job is stuck, poll the poll_url; failed jobs return an error message and your credit is automatically refunded.
Keep your key server-side
Never ship your API key in client-side code (browser JavaScript, mobile apps, public repos). Anyone with your key can spend your credits. Always call the Lipi.ai API from a backend you control — use your key as a server-side environment variable, and have your frontend call your backend, not us directly.