# Get started

Google APIs are consumed from Google Cloud projects. This guide walks through
the process of creating a Google Cloud Project, enabling the OR API in such a
project, and obtaining an API key to call the API endpoints.

1. Create a Google Cloud project

   Using a Google hosted account,
   [create](https://console.cloud.google.com/projectcreate)
   a project in the Google Cloud console. If the solver you intend to use is
   under a trusted tester program, follow this
   [guide](https://developers.google.com/optimization/service/trusted_testers) first.
2. Enable the API

   - Navigate to the [APIs
     library](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/library/optimization.googleapis.com).

   - Click "Enable".

3. Get an API key

   - Navigate to the
     [credentials](https://console.cloud.google.com/apis/credentials)
     menu.

   - Click "+ CREATE CREDENTIALS"

   - Select API key

   - Save the API key in a `credentials.json` file with the following body

         {
           "key": "your_api_key"
         }