In this article, we'll explore what SambaNova is, what its SambaCloud platform does, and how you can register, get your own API key, and start experimenting with it.

[1] What Is SambaNova?

SambaNova Systems is a U.S.-based company that builds both hardware and software for running large-scale AI models efficiently. Unlike most AI providers that depend on GPUs, SambaNova designed its own processing units called Reconfigurable Dataflow Units (RDUs) — hardware optimized specifically for machine learning workloads.

Its cloud platform, SambaCloud, lets developers and organizations access these AI capabilities online — meaning you don't need to own the hardware to use the models. You can log in, get an API key, and start sending prompts just like you would with ChatGPT or Gemini.

[2] Introducing SambaCloud

SambaCloud is the web platform where you can:

  • Experiment with large language models (LLMs)
  • Test prompts in a Playground
  • Generate your own API keys
  • View usage analytics, billing, and model options

It's designed for developers, students, and organizations who want to build their own private, secure AI applications — such as chatbots, text summarizers, or question-answering systems.

[3] Step-by-Step: How to Register

[.1] Visit the SambaCloud Website

Go to https://cloud.sambanova.ai You'll see options like "Start Building" or "Get API Key."

[.2] Sign Up

Click Sign Up and create a new account using your email address. You'll be asked to:

  • Enter your email and password
  • Accept the terms of service
  • Verify your email (check your inbox)

Once verified, you'll be redirected to your SambaCloud Dashboard.

[.3] Choose a Plan

SambaCloud offers free and paid tiers. For most individual experiments, the Developer Plan or any free trial credits are more than enough to start.

[4] Exploring your home page

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The left-hand menu in the SambaCloud Dashboard serves as your main navigation panel, giving you quick access to every key feature. The Dashboard tab brings you to the home page, where you can see featured AI models and announcements. The Playground lets you experiment directly with different models by entering prompts and viewing real-time responses — perfect for learning without writing code. The API Keys section is where you generate and manage your personal access tokens for connecting to SambaCloud through code or external applications. Lastly, the Plans menu helps you view or upgrade your subscription, track usage, and manage billing.

[5] Playground

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The playground is where users directly interact with AI models without writing code. At the top, you can select a model from the dropdown menu (for example, DeepSeek-V3.1-Terminus), which determines which large language model will answer your prompts. Below that, several example cards such as "What is SambaNova?", "9.11 and 9.9, which one is larger?", and "How many R's are in Strawberry?" serve as sample questions to help you get started. The "View Code" button lets you see how the same query could be run programmatically using the API. At the bottom, there's a chat-style input box where you can type your own question or task and get immediate results.

[4] API Keys

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The API Keys page in SambaCloud is where users manage the credentials needed to connect external applications or code to SambaNova's AI services. At the top, it shows that you can create up to 25 API keys, giving flexibility for different projects or team members. On the right, the "Create API Key" button allows you to generate a new key — a unique string that authenticates your requests when using the SambaNova API in code or third-party tools.

Steps to create API Keys:

  1. On your SambaCloud dashboard, click on API Keys in the sidebar.
  2. Click Create API Key button.
  3. Copy the key and store it somewhere safe (like a .env file or notes).
  4. You can generate multiple keys for different projects — for example:
  • project-1
  • task-demo
  • proto-app

Important: Treat your API key like a password. Do not share it publicly or commit it to GitHub.

In the next article, we'll explore how to use these API keys in practice — including how to connect them to your applications and make secure API calls to SambaNova's AI models.

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