How to Generate Your OpenTopography API key

Start by visiting the main OpenTopography website. On the right-hand side of the page, locate and click the “Request an API Key” button to start the process.

After clicking the button, you will be directed to the portal login screen.

Existing Users: If you already have an OpenTopography account, enter your Username (Email) and Password to log in.
New Users: If you do not have an account, click the “Create new account” link at the bottom of the page.

You are now on the Register New Account screen. Please fill out all required fields marked with a red asterisk (*).

If you are not an English speaker, you can switch the language using the dropdown menu in the top-left corner of the registration screen.

Mandatory Fields: First, complete the fields for User ID (Email), First/Last Name, Organization, Affiliation (select “Personal” if independent), and create a secure Password.
ORCID: Next, this field refers to a unique identifier for researchers. This field is OPTIONAL. If you do not have an ORCID ID, you can safely leave this field blank.

Once all required fields are filled, click SUBMIT. Then, you will see a confirmation message, indicating an email has been sent:

Action Required: Activate Your Account
You will receive an email from “[email protected]” (OpenTopography). This email contains the link necessary to activate your new account.

The activation email will contain the following key pieces of information:
• First, a direct, unique activation link that contains your activation key.
• Next, your registered User ID (Email) and Full Name.
• Finally, a notice stating the activation key will expire (typically in 7 days).

Click the activation link in this email to fully activate your account. After that, you can proceed to log in using the email and password you set up.

After clicking the activation link, you will return to the login screen. Enter your credentials, and you will see the activation confirmation:

Once you have successfully logged in, you will be directed to your “MyOpenTopo” dashboard or profile page, known as the myOpenTopo Workbench:

Click on the link that says “Get an API Key”. This will take you to the request page.
Click the large blue button that says “REQUEST API KEY”. This reveals your API Key:

Copy the entire key (the long alphanumeric string in green text) and save it to a secure location (such as a text document or password manager).

Now that you have your key, the final step is to integrate it with the SPCAD tool to enable downloads.
First, open the ‘Download DEM’ SPCAD tool (DNM_SP) within your CAD software.
Next, locate the dedicated field for the OpenTopography API Key.
Then, paste your key into this field.

Finally, click Test to validate that the key is working correctly.