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

# Authentication

> Connect your worker to Zero Runtime and authenticate it: runtime address, auth token, API key and secret, and provider keys.

Your worker connects to the Zero Runtime runtime over a secure connection. Configure the
connection and credentials with environment variables.

## Connect to the runtime

Point the worker at your runtime address:

```bash theme={null}
export ZRT_RUNTIME_ADDRESS=us1.rt.zeroruntime.ai:443
```

## Authenticate the worker

Get your auth token, or your API key and secret, from the
[Zero Runtime dashboard](https://app.zeroruntime.ai/). Then authenticate in one of two
ways: use a JWT auth token, or provide an API key and secret and let the SDK mint a JWT
for you.

```bash theme={null}
# Option 1: JWT auth token
export ZRT_AUTH_TOKEN=<token>

# Option 2: API key + secret (the SDK mints a JWT)
export ZRT_API_KEY=<key>
export ZRT_SECRET_KEY=<secret>
```

## Provider keys

Set the key for each provider your pipeline uses:

```bash theme={null}
export DEEPGRAM_API_KEY=<key>    # speech-to-text
export GOOGLE_API_KEY=<key>      # LLM
export CARTESIA_API_KEY=<key>    # text-to-speech
```

## Reference

| Variable                         | Purpose                         |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `ZRT_RUNTIME_ADDRESS`            | Runtime address                 |
| `ZRT_AUTH_TOKEN`                 | JWT auth token                  |
| `ZRT_API_KEY` + `ZRT_SECRET_KEY` | Mint a JWT when no token is set |
| `<PROVIDER>_API_KEY`             | Key for each provider you use   |