# API Keys Setup Guide
## 🔑 Required API Keys
Your Actor needs API keys to fetch real data. Here's how to get them (all have FREE tiers!):
---
## 1. BallDontLie API (REQUIRED for NBA stats)
**What**: Free NBA player stats and game data
**Cost**: FREE tier available
**Required**: YES (Actor will fail without this)
### How to Get:
1. Go to: https://www.balldontlie.io/
2. Sign up for a free account
3. Navigate to your dashboard
4. Copy your API key
### Add to Apify:
1. Go to: https://console.apify.com/actors/OdaJN92JUkidz02uv/settings
2. Scroll to "Environment variables"
3. Click "Add environment variable"
4. Name: `BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY`
5. Value: `your_api_key_here`
6. Check "Secret" box
7. Click "Save"
---
## 2. The Odds API (Optional for live betting odds)
**What**: Live betting odds from 10+ sportsbooks
**Cost**: FREE tier - 500 requests/month
**Required**: NO (only needed for `get_live_odds` tool)
### How to Get:
1. Go to: https://the-odds-api.com/
2. Sign up for free tier
3. Go to dashboard
4. Copy your API key
### Add to Apify:
Same process as above, but use:
- Name: `ODDS_API_KEY`
- Value: `your_odds_api_key_here`
---
## 3. RotoGrinders API (Optional for additional DFS data)
**What**: DFS salaries and ownership projections
**Cost**: Has free tier
**Required**: NO (DraftKings API is used as fallback)
### How to Get:
1. Go to: https://rotogrinders.com/
2. Sign up for account
3. Request API access
4. Get your API key
### Add to Apify:
- Name: `ROTOGRINDERS_API_KEY`
- Value: `your_rotogrinders_key_here`
---
## ⚡ Quick Setup (Video Guide)
1. Open Actor Settings: https://console.apify.com/actors/OdaJN92JUkidz02uv/settings
2. Scroll to "Environment variables"
3. Add BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY (required)
4. Add ODDS_API_KEY (optional)
5. Add ROTOGRINDERS_API_KEY (optional)
6. Click "Save"
7. Test your Actor!
---
## 🧪 Test After Setup
Once you've added the BallDontLie API key:
1. Go to: https://console.apify.com/actors/OdaJN92JUkidz02uv
2. Click "Try it"
3. Use this input:
```json
{
"mode": "batch",
"tool": "get_player_projections",
"arguments": {
"sport": "NBA"
}
}
```
4. Click "Start"
5. It should now succeed! ✅
---
## ❓ FAQ
### Q: Do I need all 3 API keys?
**A**: Only BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY is required. The others are optional.
### Q: Are these really free?
**A**: Yes! All three have free tiers:
- BallDontLie: Free (with rate limits)
- The Odds API: 500 requests/month free
- RotoGrinders: Free tier available
### Q: What happens if I don't add API keys?
**A**:
- Without BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY: Actor will fail with 401 error
- Without ODDS_API_KEY: `get_live_odds` tool won't work
- Without ROTOGRINDERS_API_KEY: Falls back to DraftKings API
### Q: Can I use my own API keys locally?
**A**: Yes! Create a `.env` file:
```bash
BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY=your_key
ODDS_API_KEY=your_key
ROTOGRINDERS_API_KEY=your_key
```
---
## 🔒 Security
- ✅ API keys are stored as **secrets** in Apify
- ✅ Never exposed in logs or responses
- ✅ Encrypted at rest
- ✅ Only accessible by your Actor
---
## 📊 Rate Limits
| API | Free Tier Limit | How to Avoid |
|-----|----------------|--------------|
| BallDontLie | 60 req/min | Caching (built-in) |
| Odds API | 500 req/month | Only call when needed |
| RotoGrinders | Varies | Use as fallback only |
---
## ✅ Checklist
- [ ] Signed up for BallDontLie
- [ ] Got BallDontLie API key
- [ ] Added key to Apify Actor settings
- [ ] Tested Actor (should succeed now!)
- [ ] (Optional) Added Odds API key
- [ ] (Optional) Added RotoGrinders key
---
## 🆘 Troubleshooting
### Error: "Request failed with status code 401"
**Cause**: Missing or invalid BALLDONTLIE_API_KEY
**Fix**:
1. Check you added the key correctly
2. Verify the key is active (check BallDontLie dashboard)
3. Make sure you clicked "Save" in Apify settings
### Error: "Rate limit exceeded"
**Cause**: Too many API calls
**Fix**:
1. Wait 1 minute
2. Caching is built-in, so this should be rare
3. Consider upgrading to paid tier if needed
---
## 📞 Need Help?
1. Check API provider documentation
2. Review Apify environment variables guide
3. Open GitHub issue
4. Ask in Apify Discord
---
**Ready to set up your keys?**
→ https://console.apify.com/actors/OdaJN92JUkidz02uv/settings
**Good luck!** 🚀
