Getting Started
Get up and running with PlaceIQ in under 5 minutes.
Get up and running with PlaceIQ in under 5 minutes. This guide will walk you through obtaining an API key and making your first request.
1. Create an Account
Sign up for a free PlaceIQ account at placeiq.co/signup. You'll get 1,000 free API calls to test the API.
2. Get Your API Key
After signing up, navigate to your dashboard and copy your API key. Your key will look something like this:
Your API KeyBash
pk_live_abc123xyz789...Keep your key secret
Never expose your API key in client-side code. Always make API calls from your backend server.
3. Make Your First Request
Let's fetch data for Sandton, one of South Africa's most well-known neighbourhoods:
Get Area Score
curl -X GET "https://api.placeiq.co/v1/areas/sandton" \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json"4. Understand the Response
A successful response returns the area's Truth Score and breakdown:
ResponseJSON
{
"id": "sandton",
"name": "Sandton",
"province": "Gauteng",
"municipality": "City of Johannesburg",
"truth_score": 8.4,
"dimensions": {
"safety": 7.2,
"infrastructure": 9.1,
"service_delivery": 7.8,
"market": 9.5,
"amenities": 8.8,
"environment": 7.5,
"sentiment": 8.2
},
"updated_at": "2026-02-22T08:00:00Z"
}Next Steps
- Learn about authentication and API key management
- Explore the Areas endpoints for listing and searching
- Try the API Explorer to test requests interactively