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Getting Started with Pinata

Whether you’re brand new or a seasoned developer, Pinata makes it simple to store and retrieve content with speed and security. All you need to kick off your journey is a free Pinata account!

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1. Get API key and Gateway URL

Inside the Pinata App select “API Keys” from the sidebar, then click “New Key” in the top right. We would recommend starting with Admin privileges and unlimited uses to start. You will receive a pinata_api_key, pinata_api_secret, and a JWT. The JWT is the most common authentication method and what we’ll be using below.

Next you will want to grab your Gateway domain by clicking the Gateways tab in the sidebar. You should see it listed in the format fun-llama-300.mypinata.cloud and you will want to copy it exactly like that.

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2. Install and Setup SDK

In the root of your project run the install command with your package manager of choice.

npm i pinata

Import and initialize the SDK in your codebase with the API key and Gateway from the previous step

import { PinataSDK } from "pinata";

const pinata = new PinataSDK({
  pinataJwt: "PINATA_JWT",
  pinataGateway: "example-gateway.mypinata.cloud",
});

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3. Upload a File

Use the upload method to upload a File object.

import { PinataSDK } from "pinata";

const pinata = new PinataSDK({
  pinataJwt: process.env.PINATA_JWT!,
  pinataGateway: "example-gateway.mypinata.cloud",
});

async function main() {
  try {
    const file = new File(["hello world!"], "hello.txt", { type: "text/plain" });
    const upload = await pinata.upload.public.file(file);
    console.log(upload);
  } catch (error) {
    console.log(error);
  }
}

await main();

You should get a response object like the one below

{
  id: "0195f815-5c5e-716d-9240-d3ae380e2002",
  group_id: null,
  name: "hello.txt",
  cid: "bafkreidvbhs33ighmljlvr7zbv2ywwzcmp5adtf4kqvlly67cy56bdtmve",
  created_at: "2025-04-02T19:58:24.616Z",
  size: 12,
  number_of_files: 1,
  mime_type: "text/plain",
  vectorized: false,
  network: "public",
}

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4. Retrieve a File through a Gateway

Use the cid of a file to fetch it through a Gateway directly or create a URL

import { PinataSDK } from "pinata";

const pinata = new PinataSDK({
  pinataJwt: process.env.PINATA_JWT!,
  pinataGateway: "example-gateway.mypinata.cloud",
});

async function main() {
  try {
    const data = await pinata.gateways.public.get("bafkreibm6jg3ux5qumhcn2b3flc3tyu6dmlb4xa7u5bf44yegnrjhc4yeq");
    console.log(data)

    const url = await pinata.gateways.convert(
      "bafkreib4pqtikzdjlj4zigobmd63lig7u6oxlug24snlr6atjlmlza45dq"
    )
    console.log(url)
  } catch (error) {
    console.log(error);
  }
}

main();

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What’s Next?

Ready to see more of what Pinata has to offer? Here are some additional features and concepts to help you get the most out of our platform: