Gamma Install & Auth
Overview
Configure authentication for the Gamma Generate API v1.0 (GA since Nov 2025). Gamma uses a REST API at https://public-api.gamma.app/v1.0/ — there is no official SDK package. All requests authenticate via the X-API-KEY header.
Prerequisites
- Gamma Pro account or higher (API access requires Pro+)
- Node.js 18+ or Python 3.10+ for wrapper code
curlor HTTP client library
Instructions
Step 1: Generate API Key
- Log in at gamma.app
- Navigate to Settings and Members (dropdown, upper-left)
- Select the API key tab
- Click Create API key
- Copy and securely store the key — it will not be shown again
Step 2: Configure Environment
# Set environment variable (add to .env or shell profile)
export GAMMA_API_KEY="gma_your_api_key_here"
# .env file approach
echo 'GAMMA_API_KEY=gma_your_api_key_here' >> .env
Step 3: Verify Connection
# Quick verification with curl
curl -s -o /dev/null -w "%{http_code}" \
-H "X-API-KEY: ${GAMMA_API_KEY}" \
https://public-api.gamma.app/v1.0/themes
# 200 = authenticated, 401 = invalid key
Step 4: First API Call (Node.js)
// gamma-client.ts — thin wrapper around the REST API
const GAMMA_BASE = "https://public-api.gamma.app/v1.0";
interface GammaConfig {
apiKey: string;
baseUrl?: string;
}
export function createGammaClient(config: GammaConfig) {
const headers = {
"X-API-KEY": config.apiKey,
"Content-Type": "application/json",
};
const base = config.baseUrl ?? GAMMA_BASE;
return {
async listThemes() {
const res = await fetch(`${base}/themes`, { headers });
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Gamma API ${res.status}: ${await res.text()}`);
return res.json();
},
async listFolders() {
const res = await fetch(`${base}/folders`, { headers });
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Gamma API ${res.status}: ${await res.text()}`);
return res.json();
},
};
}
// Verify connection
const gamma = createGammaClient({ apiKey: process.env.GAMMA_API_KEY! });
const themes = await gamma.listThemes();
console.log(`Connected — ${themes.length} workspace themes available`);
Step 5: First API Call (Python)
import os, requests
GAMMA_BASE = "https://public-api.gamma.app/v1.0"
HEADERS = {
"X-API-KEY": os.environ["GAMMA_API_KEY"],
"Content-Type": "application/json",
}
# Verify connection
resp = requests.get(f"{GAMMA_BASE}/themes", headers=HEADERS)
resp.raise_for_status()
themes = resp.json()
print(f"Connected — {len(themes)} workspace themes available")
API Key Security
| Practice | Implementation |
|----------|---------------|
| Never commit keys | Add GAMMA_API_KEY to .gitignore and .env |
| Rotate regularly | Regenerate in Settings > API key tab |
| Scope per environment | Separate keys for dev/staging/prod workspaces |
| Audit usage | Monitor credit consumption at gamma.app/settings/billing |
Error Handling
| HTTP Status | Meaning | Fix |
|-------------|---------|-----|
| 401 Unauthorized | Invalid or missing API key | Verify X-API-KEY header value |
| 403 Forbidden | Account not on Pro+ plan | Upgrade at gamma.app/pricing |
| 429 Too Many Requests | Rate limit exceeded | Implement backoff; contact Gamma support for higher limits |
| 5xx Server Error | Gamma service issue | Retry with exponential backoff |
Important Notes
- No SDK: Gamma does not publish an npm/pip package. Use
fetch/requestsdirectly. - Header format: Use
X-API-KEY, notAuthorization: Bearer. - API v0.2 sunset: v0.2 was deprecated Jan 2026. Use v1.0 only.
- Credit system: API calls consume credits based on image model tier (Standard 2-15, Advanced 20-33, Premium 34-75, Ultra 30-125 credits/image).
Resources
Next Steps
Proceed to gamma-hello-world for your first presentation generation.