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World Monitor integrates with 20+ external data sources. This guide shows you how to obtain and configure each API key.
All API keys are optional. The dashboard gracefully degrades when keys are missing — corresponding features are simply disabled.

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AI Providers

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Groq (Primary)

Purpose: Fast LLM inference for AI-generated news briefs and threat classification. Free Tier: 14,400 requests/day How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://console.groq.com/
  2. Sign up with GitHub, Google, or email
  3. Navigate to API Keys in the left sidebar
  4. Click Create API Key
  5. Copy the key (starts with gsk_)
Configuration:
.env.local
GROQ_API_KEY=gsk_your_api_key_here
Fallback: If Groq is unavailable, the system falls back to OpenRouter, then local browser models.

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OpenRouter (Fallback)

Purpose: Multi-model LLM fallback when Groq is rate-limited or unavailable. Free Tier: 50 requests/day (limited) How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://openrouter.ai/
  2. Sign up and verify your email
  3. Go to Settings → Keys
  4. Click Create Key
  5. Copy the key (starts with sk-or-)
Configuration:
.env.local
OPENROUTER_API_KEY=sk-or-v1-your_api_key_here
OpenRouter requires payment for high-volume usage. The free tier is suitable for testing only.

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Economic Data

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FRED (Federal Reserve Economic Data)

Purpose: Macro indicators, GDP, unemployment, inflation, Baltic Dry Index. Free Tier: Unlimited (non-commercial use) How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://fred.stlouisfed.org/docs/api/api_key.html
  2. Click Request API Key
  3. Sign up with email (instant approval)
  4. Copy the 32-character hexadecimal key
Configuration:
.env.local
FRED_API_KEY=abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890
Used by: Economic panel, macro signals, supply chain shipping rates.

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EIA (Energy Information Administration)

Purpose: Oil prices (WTI, Brent), U.S. production, inventory levels. Free Tier: Unlimited How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://www.eia.gov/opendata/register.php
  2. Fill out the registration form
  3. Check your email for the API key
  4. Copy the 40-character key
Configuration:
.env.local
EIA_API_KEY=your_40_character_api_key_here
Used by: Oil analytics panel, energy capacity metrics.

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Market Data

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Finnhub

Purpose: Real-time stock quotes, crypto prices, market data. Free Tier: 60 API calls/minute How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://finnhub.io/register
  2. Sign up with email
  3. Verify your email
  4. Copy the API key from the dashboard
Configuration:
.env.local
FINNHUB_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
Used by: Market quotes, stock indices, sector summaries.
The dashboard falls back to Yahoo Finance for indices (^GSPC, ^DJI) and CoinGecko for crypto when Finnhub is unavailable.

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Conflict & Threat Data

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ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data)

Purpose: Conflict events, protests, battles, violence against civilians. Free Tier: Available for researchers and non-commercial use How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://developer.acleddata.com/
  2. Click Request Access
  3. Fill out the researcher application form
  4. Wait for email approval (1-3 business days)
  5. Copy the access token from the email
Configuration:
.env.local
ACLED_ACCESS_TOKEN=your_access_token_here
Used by: Conflict layer, protest markers, unrest events, Country Instability Index.
ACLED has strict rate limits (10 requests/minute). The dashboard caches responses for 15 minutes.

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URLhaus (abuse.ch)

Purpose: Malicious URL IOCs for cyber threat layer. Free Tier: Unlimited How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://auth.abuse.ch/
  2. Create an account
  3. Navigate to API Keys
  4. Generate a new key
Configuration:
.env.local
URLHAUS_AUTH_KEY=your_api_key_here

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AlienVault OTX

Purpose: Cyber threat intelligence enrichment. Free Tier: Unlimited How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://otx.alienvault.com/
  2. Sign up for a free account
  3. Go to Settings → API Integration
  4. Copy the OTX Key
Configuration:
.env.local
OTX_API_KEY=your_otx_key_here

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AbuseIPDB

Purpose: IP reputation enrichment for cyber threat layer. Free Tier: 1,000 requests/day How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://www.abuseipdb.com/login
  2. Create an account
  3. Go to API in the top menu
  4. Copy the API v2 key
Configuration:
.env.local
ABUSEIPDB_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

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Infrastructure Data

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Cloudflare Radar

Purpose: Internet outage detection. Free Tier: Included with free Cloudflare account How to get your token:
  1. Visit https://dash.cloudflare.com/profile/api-tokens
  2. Sign up for a free Cloudflare account
  3. Click Create Token
  4. Use the Read Analytics template
  5. Copy the token
Configuration:
.env.local
CLOUDFLARE_API_TOKEN=your_token_here
Used by: Internet outages layer, Country Instability Index (information velocity component).

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NASA FIRMS

Purpose: Satellite fire detection (VIIRS thermal hotspots). Free Tier: Unlimited How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://firms.modaps.eosdis.nasa.gov/api/area/
  2. Request a MAP_KEY (instant)
  3. Check your email
  4. Copy the key from the email
Configuration:
.env.local
NASA_FIRMS_API_KEY=your_map_key_here
Used by: Fire detection layer, wildfire events.

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Tracking & Aviation

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AISStream

Purpose: Live vessel positions via WebSocket (AIS data). Free Tier: Limited (contact for details) How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://aisstream.io/authenticate
  2. Sign up with email
  3. Copy the API key from the dashboard
Configuration:
.env.local
AISSTREAM_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
Deployment: Runs on the Railway relay server (scripts/ais-relay.cjs).

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OpenSky Network

Purpose: Military flight tracking (ADS-B data). Free Tier: Anonymous access available, OAuth credentials provide higher rate limits. How to get your credentials:
  1. Visit https://opensky-network.org/login?view=registration
  2. Create an account
  3. Request OAuth credentials via their support forum
  4. Copy the client ID and secret
Configuration:
.env.local
OPENSKY_CLIENT_ID=your_client_id
OPENSKY_CLIENT_SECRET=your_client_secret
Used by: Military flight layer, theater posture assessment.

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Wingbits

Purpose: Aircraft enrichment metadata (owner, operator, type). Free Tier: Contact for pricing How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://wingbits.com/register
  2. Contact their sales team
  3. Copy the API key from your account dashboard
Configuration:
.env.local
WINGBITS_API_KEY=your_api_key_here
The dashboard uses heuristic classification when Wingbits is unavailable. Military confidence levels are reduced.

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AviationStack

Purpose: International airport delay data. Free Tier: 100 requests/month How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://aviationstack.com/signup/free
  2. Sign up with email
  3. Verify your email
  4. Copy the API key from the dashboard
Configuration:
.env.local
AVIATIONSTACK_API=your_api_key_here

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ICAO NOTAM

Purpose: Airport closure detection (Middle East focus). Free Tier: Contact for details How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://dataservices.icao.int/
  2. Request API access
  3. Copy the API key
Configuration:
.env.local
ICAO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

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Trade Data

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WTO (World Trade Organization)

Purpose: Trade restrictions, tariff trends, barriers, bilateral flows. Free Tier: Contact for details How to get your key:
  1. Visit https://apiportal.wto.org/
  2. Register for API access
  3. Copy the API key
Configuration:
.env.local
WTO_API_KEY=your_api_key_here

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Telegram OSINT

Required for Telegram intelligence feed (27 OSINT channels). How to get your credentials:
  1. Visit https://my.telegram.org/apps
  2. Log in with your Telegram account
  3. Create a new application
  4. Copy the API ID and API Hash
  5. Run scripts/telegram/session-auth.mjs to generate a session string
Configuration:
.env.local
TELEGRAM_API_ID=12345678
TELEGRAM_API_HASH=abcdef1234567890abcdef1234567890
TELEGRAM_SESSION=your_gramjs_string_session
TELEGRAM_CHANNEL_SET=full  # or tech, finance
Telegram session strings are sensitive. Never commit them to git.

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Desktop App Keys

Desktop app users configure API keys via the Settings window (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,). Keys are stored in the OS keychain:
  • macOS: Keychain Access
  • Windows: Credential Manager
  • Linux: Secret Service API (gnome-keyring, kwallet)
See Desktop App Configuration for details.

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Verifying API Keys

The desktop settings window includes per-key validation:
  1. Open Settings (Cmd+, or Ctrl+,)
  2. Navigate to the appropriate category
  3. Enter your API key
  4. Click Save & Verify
  5. Status indicator shows ✓ (valid) or ✗ (invalid)
Validation checks:
  • URL format for endpoint URLs
  • Key length for known formats
  • Live API test for supported providers (Groq, Finnhub, FRED, etc.)
Cloud/web deployments do not validate credentials client-side. Credentials are validated server-side when the API handler runs.

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