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

# Create an account

To access our data, you will need an API key.

You can get one by creating a free account at [www.peopledatalabs.com/signup](http://www.peopledatalabs.com/signup), clicking **API Keys**, and copying the **Active Key**.

![](https://files.readme.io/a81836e86559812da275e802eb60f12fc156460318001457226f47abbbd0736f-image.png)

> 🚧 Warning!
>
> This is your ***secret*** API key, so please keep it private. We charge you credits based on usage associated with it. If for some reason you need a new API key, you can always generate one from the dashboard.

## Self-Serve Plans

PDL offers three plan tiers, each available for Person, Company, and IP data:

| Plan           | Cost                                             | Includes                                                                                                             |
| -------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Free**       | $0/mo                                            | Up to 100 monthly records, access to core data fields                                                                |
| **Pro**        | Starting at $98/mo (Person) or $100/mo (Company) | 350+ monthly records (Person) or 1,000+ monthly records (Company), email support, additional field bundles available |
| **Enterprise** | Custom pricing                                   | Custom volume, premium fields, dedicated support team, advanced security features                                    |

You can sign up for a Free plan and upgrade to Pro directly from the [API Dashboard](https://www.peopledatalabs.com/main) — no sales call required. If you need volume above 100k records, [contact sales](https://www.peopledatalabs.com/contact) to discuss an Enterprise plan.

### How Credits Work

PDL uses usage-based pricing. Credits are consumed per successful match (a request that returns at least one profile with a `200` status code). Unsuccessful requests are not billed.

* **Enrichment APIs** (Person, Company, IP): 1 credit per successful request
* **Bulk Enrichment APIs**: Up to 100 credits per request (1 per match in the batch)
* **Search APIs** (Person, Company): 1 credit per profile returned
* **Autocomplete and Cleaner APIs**: No credits consumed — managed by rate limits instead

*See the documentation for specific API endpoints to view the exact credit usage rates.*

Check your remaining credits and usage anytime on the [Usage tab](https://www.peopledatalabs.com/main) in the API Dashboard, or programmatically via [response headers](/docs/usage-limits#check-rate-limits-in-response-headers).

### Max Number of API Keys

Each plan also allows you to have a certain number of active, unique API keys associated to your account:

| Plan Tier  | Max Number of API Keys |
| :--------- | :--------------------- |
| Free       | 1                      |
| Pro        | 3                      |
| Enterprise | 5                      |

### Managing your plan

For detailed information on upgrading, downgrading, or canceling your plan, visit the [PDL Help Center](https://support.peopledatalabs.com/hc/en-us/sections/25794539148571-Plans):

* [Plan types: Free, Pro, and Enterprise](https://support.peopledatalabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/27546010665115-Plan-types-Free-Pro-and-Enterprise)
* [Pricing and credits](https://support.peopledatalabs.com/hc/en-us/articles/25794271805211-Pricing-credits)
* [Upgrading your existing plan](https://support.peopledatalabs.com/hc/en-us/sections/25794539148571-Plans)
* [Downgrading or canceling your plan](https://support.peopledatalabs.com/hc/en-us/sections/25794539148571-Plans)

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