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

# Authentication

> Learn what it takes to authenticate to the Square Cloud CLI.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Get API key">
    First you need to get an API key from the [Developer Dashboard](https://squarecloud.app/en/account/security). You can use this API key to authenticate to the Square Cloud CLI.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Authenticate">
    Authenticate to the Square Cloud CLI using the following command:

    ```bash theme={null}
    squarecloud auth login
    ```

    You will be prompted to enter your API key.

    ```bash theme={null}
    Your API Token:
    > Insert your square cloud api token
    ```

    After entering your API key, you will be authenticated to the Square Cloud CLI.

    You can skip the prompt by passing your API key with the `--token` flag:

    ```bash theme={null}
    squarecloud auth login --token=<API key>
    ```
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

After authenticating to the Square Cloud CLI, you can start deploying your applications.

<Card title="Deploy your application" href="/en/cli-reference/commands/app/upload">
  Learn how to deploy your application using the Square Cloud CLI.
</Card>

<Card title="Commands Reference" href="/en/cli-reference/commands/help">
  Learn about the commands available in the Square Cloud CLI.
</Card>