How do I Get Started with RocketReach API?

The RocketReach API allows you to programmatically search and retrieve contact information for professionals and companies. This guide will walk you through the initial setup and key concepts to get started. 

Key Takeaways

• Find more in-depth documentation here: API Documentation
• RocketReach API enables programmatic access to professional and company contact data.
• You must generate and use an API Key for authentication.
• All API requests require the API Key in the request header.
• All customers should use the v2 endpoints.
• Webhooks are available for automating workflows and reducing the need for polling.
• Rate limits apply— when you reach rate limits, you may receive a 429 error.
• You can track API usage in the RocketReach API Settings dashboard.
• Some endpoints require having and consuming specific types of credits.
• You will consume 1 credit for every contact with verified info that you access.
   

Introduction to the RocketReach API

RocketReach provides an API to help businesses and developers find contact details for over 700 million professionals and 60 million companies. With this API, you can:

• Perform person and company lookups
• Search for contacts based on various criteria
• Retrieve email addresses, phone numbers, and social media links
• Automate workflows using webhooks
• Integrate contact information into CRM or sales tools

To use the API, you’ll need an API key, which serves as your unique identifier for authentication.
 

How to Get Your RocketReach API Key

Every request to the RocketReach API requires an API Key for authentication. Follow these steps to obtain yours:

Step 1: Log in to RocketReach

• Go to RocketReach
• Sign in or create an account if you don’t have one

Step 2: Navigate to API Settings

• Click on your Profile Icon in the top right corner
• Click on Account Settings from the dropdown menu
• Select API Usage & Settings from the left pane menu

Step 3: Generate an API Key

• Locate the API Key section
• Click Generate API Key
• Copy and securely store your API Key (you’ll need this for every API request)

🚨 Note: If you generate a new API key, your previous key will be invalidated.
 

Authenticating API Requests

All RocketReach API calls require authentication via an API Key. You must include your API Key in the request header.

Example API Request

Here’s an example using cURL:

curl -G --location 'https://api.rocketreach.co/api/v2/person/lookup' \
     --header 'Api-Key: YOUR_API_KEY' \
     --data-urlencode 'name=John Doe' \
     --data-urlencode 'current_employer=Google'

For Python, using the requests library:

import requests

headers = {
    "Api-Key": "YOUR_API_KEY"
}

response = requests.get("https://api.rocketreach.co/api/v2/person/lookup", headers=headers)
print(response.json())

✅ If authentication is successful, the API will return the requested data.
❌ If the API Key is missing or invalid, you will receive a 401 Unauthorized error.

For more examples, please see the API documentation.
 

Viewing and Managing API Usage

To track API usage and manage your limits:

1. Go to RocketReach API Usage & Settings from your Account Settings
2. Check:
   • Total Contacts
   • Lookups Remaining
   • Person Exports Remaining (if applicable)
   • Lifetime API Calls
   • Recent Errors

If you exceed your rate limits, you may receive a 429 Too Many Requests error. To resolve this, either:

• Reduce your request frequency
• Upgrade to a Custom API plan by contacting the API Sales Team: api@rocketreach.co
   

Version and Scope

We have completely migrated to v2, and only v2 endpoints should be used. Using a v1 endpoint will always return an error.

Please refer to the API documentation for important details on the use of each endpoint.

*Reminder:  API is considered an export activity. If your account has Unlimited Lookup credits, then any action above that requires Person Lookup credits will likewise require sufficient Person Export credits.

Next Steps

Now that you have set up your API Key and understand authentication, here’s what you can do next:

• Search for People – Learn how to find contacts based on name, company, and job title
• Retrieve Company Information – Discover metadata about businesses using the API
• Use Webhooks – Automate API workflows with webhook integrations
• Troubleshoot API Errors – Find solutions to common API issues
   

Additional Resources

API Documentation

How do I Handle RocketReach API Requests, Responses, and Errors?

How do I Search for People Using the RocketReach API?

How do I Perform a Person Lookup Using the RocketReach API?

How do I Use Webhooks in the RocketReach API?

How do I Perform Bulk Lookups Using the RocketReach API?

Lookup Credits vs. Export Credits