# Overview

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Connections are secured using AES-256-GCM encryption.
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When connecting to third-party services such as OpenAI, you must include an API key in the request. This token is used to identify you and track usage so you can be billed accordingly.

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Including an API key in client-side JavaScript code is extremely dangerous!
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Using Alphi connections, you can securely store your API keys in the cloud and reference them within your flow.

It is important to remember that Alphi flows are public by default, so whilst your keys are secure, a malicious user could abuse your quota limits. We recommend integrating an authentication service such as Outseta or Memberstack to secure your flows.

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[Add an API Key](/connections/add-an-api-key.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

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[OAuth Connections](/connections/oauth-connections.md)
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# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.alphi.dev/connections/overview.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.