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

# Quickstart

> Create your account, scan your first domain, and make your first API call in under 2 minutes. Free tier includes 100 credits with no credit card required.

## Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have:

* A web browser to access the [TechnologyChecker dashboard](https://app.TechnologyChecker.io)
* An email address, Google account, or Microsoft account for sign-up

No credit card or software installation is required.

<Tip>
  Want a quick look before signing up? Try our [website technology checker](https://technologychecker.io) to search any site's tech stack directly. No account required.
</Tip>

## Start scanning in three steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create your account">
    Sign up at [app.TechnologyChecker.io](https://app.TechnologyChecker.io/auth/sign-up) to get started with **100 free credits**.

    No credit card required. You can sign up with email, Google, or Microsoft.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Complete onboarding">
    The 3-step onboarding wizard helps you get set up:

    1. **Choose your plan:** Free, Pro, or Scale with side-by-side feature comparison
    2. **Set up your organization:** Add your logo, name, and optionally create an API key
    3. **Invite your team:** Add team members by email with role assignments (or skip for later)

    <Tip>
      You can change your plan or invite more team members at any time from **Settings**.
    </Tip>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Scan your first domain">
    Enter any domain into the search bar to detect its full technology stack. TechnologyChecker uses <Tooltip tip="Combines headless JS rendering, HTTP header analysis, DNS/TLS fingerprinting, and infrastructure probing to identify technologies across all layers.">multi-signal fingerprinting</Tooltip> to detect frontend, backend, and standalone technologies across 40,000+ signatures.

    Your scan results include:

    * **Technologies detected:** Frameworks, CMS, analytics, payment processors, and more
    * **Company information:** <Tooltip tip="Company attributes like industry, employee count, location, founded year, and company type — sourced from LinkedIn.">Firmographics</Tooltip>, industry, size, and location from LinkedIn
    * **Technology timeline:** A Gantt chart showing when technologies were first and last detected
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Try the API

Once you're set up, grab your API key from **Settings** > **Developers** (see [how to get your API key](/api-reference/authentication#how-to-get-your-api-key)) and make your first API call.

<CodeGroup>
  ```bash cURL theme={null}
  curl -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
    https://api.technologychecker.io/v1/domain/shopify.com
  ```

  ```python Python theme={null}
  import requests

  headers = {"Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"}
  response = requests.get(
      "https://api.technologychecker.io/v1/domain/shopify.com",
      headers=headers,
  )
  data = response.json()
  print(data)
  ```

  ```javascript JavaScript theme={null}
  const response = await fetch(
    "https://api.technologychecker.io/v1/domain/shopify.com",
    {
      headers: {
        Authorization: "Bearer YOUR_API_KEY",
      },
    }
  );
  const data = await response.json();
  console.log(data);
  ```
</CodeGroup>

<Accordion title="Example response">
  ```json theme={null}
  {
    "success": true,
    "data": {
      "domain": "shopify.com",
      "active_technologies": [
        {
          "id": 2,
          "name": "Cloudflare",
          "category": "CDN",
          "first_seen": "2020-05-08 00:00:00",
          "last_seen": "2026-01-08 00:00:00",
          "subdomain": "SHOPIFY.COM"
        },
        {
          "id": 4,
          "name": "SSL by Default",
          "category": "SSL/TLS Certificates",
          "first_seen": "2015-09-08 00:00:00",
          "last_seen": "2026-01-08 00:00:00",
          "subdomain": "SHOPIFY.COM"
        },
        {
          "id": 8,
          "name": "SPF",
          "category": "Email Security",
          "first_seen": "2014-04-08 00:00:00",
          "last_seen": "2026-01-08 00:00:00",
          "subdomain": "SHOPIFY.COM"
        }
      ],
      "historical_technologies": [...]
    }
  }
  ```
</Accordion>

<Info>
  Your API key starts with `tapi_live_` for production or `tapi_test_` for development. See [authentication](/api-reference/authentication) for details. Each call uses <Tooltip tip="Credits are the unit of API usage. Most endpoints cost 1 credit per call. Live detection costs 5." cta="View credit costs" href="/api-reference/credits">credits</Tooltip> from your plan balance.
</Info>

## What to explore next

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Browse technologies" icon="microchip" href="/features/technologies">
    Explore 40,000+ technologies across 50M+ domains with market share data and historical trends.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build lead lists" icon="list-check" href="/features/lead-lists">
    Create targeted prospect lists by combining technology and company filters.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use the API" icon="code" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    Integrate technology data into your CRM, scoring models, or internal tools.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Market research" icon="chart-line" href="/features/market-research">
    Analyze market share and adoption trends across technology categories.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Frequently asked questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Where do I find my API key?">
    Sign in to [app.TechnologyChecker.io](https://app.TechnologyChecker.io), go to **Settings** > **Developers**, and click **Create API key**. Copy the key immediately — it is only shown once. See [authentication](/api-reference/authentication) for details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What is the difference between live and test API keys?">
    Live keys (prefixed `tapi_live_`) are for production use and consume credits. Test keys (prefixed `tapi_test_`) are for development and have limited functionality. Both use the same authentication method. See [authentication](/api-reference/authentication) for details.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How many credits does each API call cost?">
    Most endpoints cost 1 credit per call. Live technology detection costs 5 credits. Usage and credit balance endpoints are free. See the full [credit cost table](/api-reference/credits).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What data do I get when I scan a domain?">
    A domain scan returns active technologies (name, category, first detected, last detected), historical technologies that are no longer active, and company firmographic data (industry, employee count, location, LinkedIn URL). See [domain lookup](/features/domain-lookup) for details.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>