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

# First API call

> Get a sandbox key and calculate your first route in under 15 minutes.

<Note>
  Tutorial — priority P0. Goal: help a developer who is new to the API succeed quickly, without explaining the optimization engine's theory (see the Concepts section for that).
</Note>

## To be written

* Step 1: create an account / obtain a sandbox API key
* Step 2: send a minimal optimization problem (1 vehicle, 2-3 orders, no advanced constraints)
* Step 3: read the response and identify the calculated route
* Step 4: link to the logical next step (full tutorial or authentication guide)

## Example request (to be completed with the API's actual format)

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.kardinal.ai/v1/optimize \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer <your-api-key>" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "vehicles": [ ... ],
    "orders": [ ... ]
  }'
```