# POST /v1/convai/realtime/client_secrets (ElevenLabs API)
Base URL: https://api.elevenlabs.io
Auth: xi-api-key: <ELEVENLABS_API_KEY>
Last verified: 2026-10-20

> Create Realtime Client Secret

## Critical Gotchas
* Authentication uses the non-standard `xi-api-key` header, not `Authorization: Bearer`. Sending a Bearer token returns HTTP 401.
* Text-to-speech responses are raw binary audio, not JSON. Write the body to a file (`--output speech.mp3`) rather than parsing it.

## cURL
curl -X POST 'https://api.elevenlabs.io/v1/convai/realtime/client_secrets' \
  -H "xi-api-key: $ELEVENLABS_API_KEY" \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -d '{"session":{"type":"realtime","model":"eleven_realtime_v1_mini"},"expires_after":{"anchor":"created_at","seconds":0}}'

## Parameters
| Name | In | Type | Required | Description |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| session | body | object | No | Request body field session. |
| expires_after | body | object | No | Request body field expires_after. |

## Response (200 OK)
{"value":"string","expires_at":0}

---
Need an API key? Get one at https://elevenlabs.io/app/sign-up