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

# Quickstart

> Submit and retrieve your first production CarHub job.

This guide uses vehicle pricing because it needs no media upload. Use it to verify your production credentials and job handling.

## Prerequisites

* A production organisation API key beginning with `chk_live_`.
* `curl` and `jq`.
* The API base URL: `https://api.trycarhub.com`.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create and store a live API key">
    Create a production API key in the CarHub dashboard. Store it in your secret manager and expose it to your service at runtime.

    ```bash theme={null}
    export CARHUB_API_URL=https://api.trycarhub.com
    export CARHUB_API_KEY=chk_live_replace_me
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit a request">
    `wait=true` is supported by this fast endpoint. CarHub waits for up to 30 seconds and returns the completed job when it can.

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -sS -X POST "$CARHUB_API_URL/v1/pricing/vehicle?wait=true" \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer $CARHUB_API_KEY" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -H "Idempotency-Key: 8b1f1c2e-9d3a-4a51-9f0c-1c9a2f6d7b44" \
      -d '{"params":{"make":"Renault","model":"Clio"}}' | jq
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Poll when a job is queued">
    If the response is `202`, save its `id` and retrieve it until its status is terminal.

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -sS "$CARHUB_API_URL/v1/jobs/job_3ZxK9pQr7TnW" \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer $CARHUB_API_KEY" | jq
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>Send an `Idempotency-Key` on every `POST`. Retrying the same payload then returns the original response and cannot charge the job twice.</Tip>

## Next steps

* Validate edge cases with [test mode](/guides/test-mode).
* For media inputs, use [presigned uploads](/guides/uploads).
* For all request and response fields, open the generated [API reference](/api-reference/overview).
* Before sending customer traffic, complete the [go-live checklist](/guides/go-live).