Skip to main content
This guide walks you through creating an account, funding it, and running your first Lit Action. You can do everything from the Dashboard (web GUI) or directly against the REST API.

​
How the pieces fit

Chipotle is the name of Lit Protocol v3, and you’ll see it in the API and Dashboard addresses. It runs your JavaScript inside a TEE (trusted execution environment), which is hardware that keeps a program’s memory sealed off from the machine’s operator. These are the pieces you’ll set up:
  • A Lit Action is your JavaScript program. It is identified by its CID, which is a hash of its code.
  • Your account is registered on Base. Creating it gives you an account key, which manages the account.
  • A usage key is a key you create with the account key. Usage keys run actions, and each one’s permissions say which groups it can use.
  • A PKP is a wallet whose private key only exists inside the TEE. An action can sign with it.
  • A group lists which actions may use which PKPs.
Every request takes the same path: Every request takes this path. A group answers “Can this action use this PKP?” A usage key’s scopes answer “Can this caller use this group?” A wildcard key (execute_in_groups: [0]) passes the first check for any code, but it still needs a group to use a PKP. Your first run needs only an account, some credits, and a usage key with wildcard execution, which can run any code that doesn’t use a PKP. You add a PKP and a group when your action needs to sign with a wallet you keep. The Glossary defines each term in one place.

​
Zero to Lit Action

  1. Create an account via the Dashboard, note down your API key. Account creation takes ~15 seconds — it registers your account on-chain (Base).
  2. Add funds — click Add Funds in the Dashboard (minimum $5.00) and pay with a credit card, crypto (ETH, USDC, SOL and more), or LITKEY. Running Lit Actions and metered/write management operations consume credits, while read-only management calls (for example listing resources or checking your balance) are free. Unfunded metered calls return 402 Payment Required — see Errors.
  3. Add a usage API key — set its permissions by clicking All Options. All Options grants every permission, including running any code (execute_in_groups: [0]). That’s fine for a first test. For production, give each key only the groups it needs. See Usage API Keys.
  4. Run a Lit Action
    1. From the Dashboard
    2. Programmatically via cURL/JavaScript
    3. or build your own SDK from the OpenAPI spec
To run your first action from a terminal, send your usage key and a line of code. The account key can’t run actions, so use the usage key from step 3.

​
Using the Dashboard

The Dashboard is a web management GUI for Lit. It supports light/dark themes and provides simple tools for managing accounts, keys, wallets, and actions. Recommended workflow:
  1. Request a new account (or log in)
  2. Add funds via credit card
  3. Request usage API keys
  4. Request new PKPs (wallets)
  5. Register IPFS CIDs (actions)
  6. Create groups
  7. Run lit-actions
For a first run with a wildcard key, steps 1 to 3 and 7 are enough. Steps 4 to 6 are for actions that sign with a PKP. For step-by-step instructions with screenshots, see Using the Dashboard.

​
Using the API directly

The same workflows are available via the REST API under /core/v1/. All authenticated endpoints expect the API key in a header (X-Api-Key or Authorization: Bearer). Workflow:
  1. New account or verify account (login)
  2. Add funds — card, crypto, or the billing API
  3. Add usage API key
  4. Create wallet (PKP)
  5. Add group and register IPFS action
  6. Add PKP to group (optional)
  7. Run lit-action
For full code examples (JavaScript Core SDK and cURL), see the API Reference.

​
Daily Usage

The Dashboard is just your human-friendly configuration tool. Once your account and keys are set up, you can call the lit-action endpoint with your usage key every time you, your dApp, or a cron job needs to execute an action:
  1. Call the API with your usage key, action code (or IPFS CID), and any parameters you need. Sending the CID works only for code the server has already run and still has cached, so send the code when in doubt.

​
Next steps