Developers

Getting started

Create a key, call the API, and ship your first integration in minutes.

LesterTechLabs gives you production APIs for payments, messaging, OCR, and auth — plus Lester PaaS for deploying apps close to your users worldwide.

Browse APIs Authentication

Path

Four steps to first success

Step 1
Create your account

Sign up at the developer portal. Use a work email so we can activate marketplace access and support the right workspace.

Portal invite flows are rolling out — request access if you need a key today.
Open contact / quote →
Step 2
Generate an API key

Create a sandbox key first. Keep production keys in environment variables — never commit them to git or ship them in frontend bundles.
```
export LESTER_API_KEY="ltk_live_••••••••"
```
Step 3
Make your first request

Hit the health endpoint to confirm auth works, then explore marketplace APIs for payments, messaging, OCR, and identity.
Step 4
Ship something real

Wire a sandbox flow into your app, review rate limits and error codes, then graduate to production keys when you're ready.

First request

Call the health endpoint

Confirm your key works before integrating a marketplace API. Copy a snippet, swap in your key, and you should get a 200 with region metadata.

curl -sS https://api.lestertechlabs.com/v1/health \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $LESTER_API_KEY" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"

import os
import requests

resp = requests.get(
    "https://api.lestertechlabs.com/v1/health",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['LESTER_API_KEY']}",
        "Accept": "application/json",
    },
    timeout=15,
)
resp.raise_for_status()
print(resp.json())

const res = await fetch("https://api.lestertechlabs.com/v1/health", {
  headers: {
    Authorization: `Bearer ${process.env.LESTER_API_KEY}`,
    Accept: "application/json",
  },
});

if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`HTTP ${res.status}`);
console.log(await res.json());

api.lestertechlabs.com

GET /v1/health

200 OK

{{ body|default:"{
  \"status\": \"success\",
  \"data\": { ... }
}" }}

Checklist

Store keys in env vars or a secrets manager
Start in sandbox before enabling live payments or SMS
Handle 401 / 429 / 5xx with retries and backoff
Send an idempotency key on write endpoints when available

API Marketplace

Browse payments, messaging, OCR, and auth APIs.

Authentication

API keys, headers, and rotating credentials safely.

Documentation

Guides, tutorials, and deeper API references.

Lester PaaS

Deploy apps with Git push, managed Postgres, and SSL.

FAQ

Getting started FAQs

Keys, sandbox, and first requests.

Do I need a paid plan to start?

No. Sandbox keys and free-tier marketplace quotas are enough to explore integrations. Upgrade when you need higher limits or production traffic.

Where should I put my API key?

Only on the server. Use environment variables or a secrets manager. Never expose live keys in browser code, mobile apps, or public repos.

What base URL should I use?

Use https://api.lestertechlabs.com for production and the sandbox host shown in your dashboard for test traffic. Always pin to /v1 unless a guide says otherwise.

Need help?

Stuck on your first integration?

Tell us what you're building — payments, messaging, OCR, or PaaS — and we'll point you to the right path.

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Next step

Start your project

1 Tell us about your goals
2 Get a tailored proposal
3 Ship with LesterTechLabs

hello@lestertechlabs.com Or visit the contact page

Getting started

Four steps to first success

Create your account

Generate an API key

Make your first request

Ship something real