Quickstart

Choose a Path

Before you start

• A Lev account with API access enabled
• A way to generate an API key in the platform or through the API
• A client you want to test with: curl, fetch, requests, Cursor, Claude, or the Lev CLI

Path A: First REST API Call

1. Create an API key

The fastest way is through the Lev web app:

1. Sign in to app.lev.com, click your name at the bottom of the sidebar, then click Settings
2. Select the API Keys tab, click Create key, enter a label like "Quickstart Key", and click Create
3. Copy the key immediately — it's only shown once

Alternatively, create a key via the API if you're automating key provisioning:

2. Validate the key and inspect scopes

Use the validation endpoint to confirm that the key works and inspect the scopes granted to the underlying user.

{
  "api_key": "lev_sk_abc123def456..."
}

{
  "request_id": "...",
  "data": {
    "valid": true,
    "user_id": 1234,
    "account_id": 56,
    "scopes": ["deals:read", "deals:write", "contacts:read"],
    "tier": "standard"
  }
}

3. Fetch your first page of deals

Response:

{
  "request_id": "a1b2c3d4-...",
  "timestamp": "2026-03-20T15:30:45Z",
  "data": [
    {
      "id": 101,
      "title": "123 Main St Acquisition",
      "loan_amount": 5000000.0,
      "loan_type": "acquisition",
      "transaction_type": "purchase",
      "created_at": "2026-01-15T10:00:00Z"
    }
  ],
  "pagination": {
    "total": 42,
    "limit": 5,
    "cursor": "eyJpZCI6IDEwMX0=",
    "has_more": true,
    "next_cursor": "eyJpZCI6IDEwNn0="
  }
}

If you get a 401, re-check your Authorization header. If you get a 403, inspect granted_scopes from GET /me or the validation response and confirm the key belongs to a user who can access the target resource.

Path B: First MCP Integration

1. Confirm the auth model you want

• Use JWT / OAuth when the MCP client signs in interactively.
• Use an API key only when the client or server-side bridge can safely store long-lived credentials.
• Always send a meaningful X-Origin-App value so Lev can identify the calling surface.

2. Add Lev to your MCP client

The exact config shape varies by client, but the important pieces are the same: the Lev server URL, OAuth support, and a clear origin-app identifier.

3. Verify the connection with a safe read

Start with a read-only question or tool action:

• "What account am I connected to in Lev?"
• "List my first five deals."
• "Which scopes are granted to this connection?"

If you want the full setup walkthrough, continue to MCP Setup.

Path C: First CLI Query

1. Install the CLI

pipx install lev-cli

Requires Python 3.13+. See CLI Setup for alternative install methods.

2. Authenticate

lev auth login

Paste your API key when prompted. It is stored in your OS keychain — never written to a file. If you don't have a key yet, create one in the Lev web app (see Path A, step 1).

3. Verify and fetch deals

lev auth status        # Confirm connection
lev deals list         # Fetch your deals

You should see a formatted table with your deals. When piped, the CLI auto-switches to JSON — which means an LLM coding agent running lev deals list in a shell receives structured data it can parse directly.

# Example: an agent or script capturing JSON output
lev deals list -o json | jq '.data[0].title'

If you want the full CLI walkthrough, continue to CLI Setup.

Next Steps

After the quickstart, go one level deeper based on what you are building:

• Authentication — Learn the auth model, required headers, and failure modes in detail.
• Deals — Start with the core deal resource if you are building a product integration.
• MCP Setup — Continue from the MCP path with client-specific setup and troubleshooting.
• CLI Commands — Full command reference with syntax, flags, and output examples.
• Data Sync Patterns — Use the production sync recipe when you are moving data into another system.