# API quick start guide

This API Quick Start Guide provide a step-by-step for getting started on the Investec's banking API and covers:

* 🔑 [How to get your Investec API keys](/programmable-banking-community-wiki/get-started/api-quick-start-guide/how-to-get-your-api-keys.md) 
* 👤 [How to authenticate and test your keys](/programmable-banking-community-wiki/get-started/api-quick-start-guide/how-to-authenticate.md)
* 🏦 [How to programmatically retrieve information from an Investec account](/programmable-banking-community-wiki/get-started/api-quick-start-guide/how-to-get-your-transaction-history.md)
* 💸 [How to programmatically initiate banking transactions](/programmable-banking-community-wiki/get-started/api-quick-start-guide/how-to-make-a-payment.md)

We recommend that you fork the community-contributed [**Postman Collection**](https://www.postman.com/investec-open-api/workspace/programmable-banking/overview) and use it as you follow along in the guide. Let’s get started!

{% hint style="info" %}
**Pro-Tip:** The Postman collection includes both:

 🏦 Private Banking APIs

 🧰 Corporate Investment Banking (CIB) APIs
{% endhint %}

If you need any assistance, you are always welcome to reach out to the [Slack community](https://investec-dev-com.slack.com/archives/C05M7DZD0B1).

{% hint style="info" %}
**Share a screenshot of your 200 with us** **on** [**Slack**](https://investec-dev-com.slack.com/archives/C05MFMYUPE2) **when you’re up and running!**
{% endhint %}


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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://investec.gitbook.io/programmable-banking-community-wiki/get-started/api-quick-start-guide.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.