> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.acrelens.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Quickstart
> Sign up, grab a key, and pull your first land analysis report — five minutes end-to-end.
By the end of this page you'll have a `report_id` and a JSON report you can render however you want.
## 1. Create an account
Sign up at [acrelens.com/signup](https://acrelens.com/signup). You'll get **4 free reports** as soon as you add a card — no charge until your free reports are spent.
## 2. Grab your API key
In the dashboard, head to [Manage → API Keys](https://acrelens.com/dashboard/manage/api-keys) and click **+ New key**. Keys look like:
```
al_live_a1b2c3d4e5f6g7h8i9j0k1l2m3n4o5p6
```
The full key is shown **exactly once**. Copy it now — AcreLens stores only a SHA-256 hash. If you lose it, [revoke and create a new one](/authentication#rotating-keys).
## 3. Make your first request
**Not a developer?** Skip the rest of this page. Open the
[dashboard](https://acrelens.com/dashboard) — you'll land on Home with
a gamified onboarding card to walk you through your first analysis. Or
jump straight to [Reports → + New analysis](https://acrelens.com/dashboard/reports/new),
fill in an address, pick a mode, and click **Run**. The report list
updates live (60–120 seconds) and any completed row opens the same
structured analysis the API returns. No code required.
Analyze a 5-acre parcel in Taos, NM:
```bash cURL theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.acrelens.com/v1/analyze \
-H "Authorization: Bearer al_live_..." \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-H "Idempotency-Key: $(uuidgen)" \
-d '{
"address": "123 Canyon Rd, Taos, NM",
"state": "NM",
"mode": "off_grid",
"county": "Taos",
"acreage": 5.2,
"asking_price": 65000
}'
```
```javascript Node theme={null}
const res = await fetch("https://api.acrelens.com/v1/analyze", {
method: "POST",
headers: {
"Authorization": `Bearer ${process.env.ACRELENS_API_KEY}`,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
"Idempotency-Key": crypto.randomUUID(),
},
body: JSON.stringify({
address: "123 Canyon Rd, Taos, NM",
state: "NM",
mode: "off_grid",
county: "Taos",
acreage: 5.2,
asking_price: 65000,
}),
});
const { report_id, poll_url } = await res.json();
```
```python Python theme={null}
import os, uuid, requests
res = requests.post(
"https://api.acrelens.com/v1/analyze",
headers={
"Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['ACRELENS_API_KEY']}",
"Idempotency-Key": str(uuid.uuid4()),
},
json={
"address": "123 Canyon Rd, Taos, NM",
"state": "NM",
"mode": "off_grid",
"county": "Taos",
"acreage": 5.2,
"asking_price": 65000,
},
)
data = res.json()
```
The API responds **immediately** with `202 Accepted` while the report runs in the background:
```json Response theme={null}
{
"report_id": "rpt_01HY2Z...",
"status": "processing",
"mode": "off_grid",
"estimated_completion_seconds": 90,
"poll_url": "https://api.acrelens.com/v1/reports/rpt_01HY2Z..."
}
```
## 4. Receive the result
You have two options. **Pick webhooks for production** — polling burns rate-limit quota and adds latency.
### Option A — webhooks (recommended)
Set a `webhook_url` in your dashboard or per-request. AcreLens POSTs to it with HMAC-SHA256-signed bodies when the report finishes. See the [webhooks guide](/guides/webhooks) for the signature scheme and retry behavior.
### Option B — poll the `poll_url`
```bash theme={null}
curl https://api.acrelens.com/v1/reports/rpt_01HY2Z... \
-H "Authorization: Bearer al_live_..."
```
Reports typically complete in **60–120 seconds**. While processing, you'll get back the basic envelope. Once `status` is `"completed"`, you'll see the full body:
```json Completed report (abridged) theme={null}
{
"report_id": "rpt_01HY2Z...",
"status": "completed",
"mode": "off_grid",
"property": {
"address": "123 Canyon Rd, Taos, NM",
"state": "NM",
"county": "Taos",
"acreage": 5.2,
"lat": 36.4072,
"lng": -105.5734,
"asking_price": 65000
},
"scores": {
"overall": 78,
"sub_scores": { "solar": 92, "water": 64, "septic": 71, "building_codes": 80, "access": 83 }
},
"confidence": { "solar": "high", "water": "medium", "septic": "medium", "building_codes": "high", "access": "high" },
"summary": "Strong off-grid fundamentals — top-tier solar, accessible groundwater. Material risk is county-level RV/septic rules pending verification.",
"details": {
"solar": { "score": 92, "summary": "...", "details": ["..."] },
"water": { "score": 64, "summary": "...", "details": ["..."] },
"buildability": { "score": 71, "summary": "...", "details": ["..."], "rv_living_allowed": "conditional", "composting_toilet_allowed": "conditional", "permit_difficulty": "moderate" },
"access": { "score": 83, "summary": "...", "details": ["..."] }
},
"considerations": ["..."],
"estimated_costs": { "solar": {...}, "well": {...}, "septic": {...}, "road": {...}, "permits": {...}, "total_low": 31500, "total_high": 83000 },
"sources": [...],
"generated_at": "2026-04-28T22:00:00.000Z"
}
```
See the [endpoint reference](/reference/endpoint-reference) for the
complete schema with all `details`, `considerations`, and
`estimated_costs` fields.
## 5. Render however you want
The API returns structured JSON — that's the deliverable. Pipe it into your
own UI, generate a PDF with your branding, ask Claude/GPT to summarize it,
push to a Notion page, drop in Slack. Bring your own format.
***
## Next steps
* **Match the right [analysis mode](/concepts/analysis-modes)** to what your users care about — sub-scores differ.
* **[Set up webhooks](/guides/webhooks)** so you're not polling.
* **[Use idempotency keys](/guides/idempotency)** on every POST so retries don't double-charge.
* **[Browse the full endpoint reference](/reference/endpoint-reference)** when you're ready to go beyond `/v1/analyze`.
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