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

# Authentication

To interact with the Encord platform programmatically, you must authenticate each time you run a script that uses the Encord SDK.

1. Ensure you have an Encord account. If not, [register here](https://app.encord.com/register).
2. Create a public and private access key for authentication by following [this documentation](/sdk-documentation/sdk-references/user_client#create-with-ssh-private-key).

<Tip>
  We recommend creating a [service account](/platform-documentation/General/general-access-keys) to be used with agents.
</Tip>

3. Set one of the following environment variables in the environment where you plan to run your agents:
   * `ENCORD_SSH_KEY`: The raw content of your private key file.
   * `ENCORD_SSH_KEY_FILE`: The absolute path to your private key file.