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

# Obtain Your Hello Clever Integration Keys Securely

> Generate your app-id and secret-key by creating a Payments Account in the Hello Clever Merchant Dashboard to authenticate API calls and plugin connections.

Every Hello Clever integration (whether you are connecting a Shopify store, a WooCommerce site, or a custom API) requires two credentials: an `app-id` and a `secret-key`. This page explains how to generate these keys by creating a Payments Account in the Merchant Dashboard.

<Info>
  You need an active Hello Clever merchant account before you can generate integration keys. If you have not created one yet, see [Create Your Hello Clever Merchant Account](/create-merchant-account).
</Info>

## Generate your integration keys

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create a Payments Account in the Merchant Dashboard">
    Log in to your Hello Clever Merchant Dashboard and click **+ Create account** in the top-right corner.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select a currency for this account">
    On the **Create account** screen, confirm the currency shown under **Select a currency for this account**.

    To use a different currency, click **Change**, then pick a currency from the list in the **Currency** dialog (use the search field to filter). The currency should match the currency configured in your Hello Clever merchant account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Start setting up your Payments Account">
    Under **What would you like to set up?**, review the **Accept payments and send payouts** card, then click **Create Payments Account**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Fill out the account form">
    Complete the form fields:

    * **Currency**: carried over from the previous step (read-only).
    * **Account name**: your registered account name (read-only).
    * **Account nickname**: a label to help you identify this account (for example, `Payment Account 1`).
    * **Account image**: click **Browse** to upload a logo or store image. The maximum file size is 2MB.
    * **Planned integration type**: open the dropdown and select the option that matches your setup: an e-commerce platform (Shopify, WooCommerce, Magento, and similar), Xero for invoicing, Tyro for physical stores, or a custom API integration.
    * **Website URL**: enter your store’s website address. If you selected Tyro, you will instead be prompted for your Tyro Location ID and shop address on the next screen.

    When the form is complete, click **Create Payments Account**.

    <Note>
      Set the **Planned integration type** to match how you plan to use Hello Clever: this determines which fields and downstream setup steps appear.
    </Note>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Find your App ID and Secret Key">
    1. In the Merchant Dashboard, click your account name in the top-right corner, then select **Authentication** under **Developer**.
    2. On the **Authentication** page, make sure the **Auth 1.0** tab is selected.
    3. Find the row matching the Payments Account you just created (matched by **Account Name & URL** and **Name & Plugin Type**), then copy its **App ID** and **Secret Key**.

    * **App ID**: A unique identifier for this Payments Account. This is your `app-id`.
    * **Secret Key**: A secure key used to authenticate API requests. This is your `secret-key`.

    <Warning>
      Treat your `secret-key` like a password. Do not share it publicly, commit it to version control, or expose it in client-side code. If your key is compromised, generate a new one from the Merchant Dashboard immediately.
    </Warning>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next steps

With your `app-id` and `secret-key` in hand, you are ready to connect Hello Clever to your platform:

* **Plugin integrations**: Enter your credentials in the Hello Clever plugin settings for [Shopify](/integrations/shopify), [WooCommerce](/integrations/woocommerce), [Magento](/integrations/magento), or other supported platforms.
* **API integrations**: Pass your `app-id` and `secret-key` as authentication headers in requests to the Hello Clever API. See the [API authentication guide](/api/authentication) for the required format.

<Tip>
  Each App ID and Secret Key pair is scoped to a single Payments Account. If you need to connect multiple stores or locations, create a separate Payments Account in the Merchant Dashboard for each one to generate its own set of credentials.
</Tip>

<Tip>
  If you need separate credentials for testing and production, create one Payments Account in your sandbox account and another in your live account. Each environment generates its own independent set of keys.
</Tip>


## Related topics

- [Choose the Right Hello Clever Integration](/integrations/choosing-integration.md)
- [What is Hello Clever?](/getting-started/introduction.md)
- [Hello Clever API Security Best Practices](/security/api-security.md)