API key setup blocks first-run
New users get stuck generating and scoping their first API key. The flow is buried in Settings and the error messages are unclear.
Priority score
94/100
Affected users
64
Mentions
87
Urgency
★★★★★
AI recommended action
Move API key creation into the first-run checklist and add inline scope hints. This cluster is the #1 driver of week-1 drop-off — fixing it should recover an estimated 12-18% of activating accounts.
Sentiment breakdown
4% positive19% neutral77% negative
What customers actually said (4)
- Marc D.Intercom2026-05-26
“Spent 40 minutes trying to figure out where to even create an API key. It's hidden three menus deep.”
- priya@Zendesk2026-05-25
“The key worked in curl but not in the SDK and the error just said "unauthorized". No idea what scope I was missing.”
- @devjulesTwitter2026-05-24
“love the product but the onboarding almost made me give up. why is the first API call so hard”
- Sam (interview)Interview2026-05-22
“Once I got the key it was smooth. Getting the key was the only painful part of the whole week.”