Get Started with Calais

Calais is a web service that uses natural language processing (NLP) technology to semantically tag text that is input to the service. The tags are delivered to the user who can then incorporate them into other applications - for search, news aggregation, blogs, catalogs, you name it.

If you're not familiar with Calais, visit the following sites for examples of Calais tags:

• Document Viewer is a way to get a quick peek at Calais output. Paste a chunk of text into the Document Viewer window, submit it, and see the resulting Calais tags.
• Gnosis offers a browser plugin (for Internet Explorer or Firefox). Download and install the plugin to see Calais metatagging results on your favorite web pages.

You can also visit our Gallery for examples of how developers have implemented Calais in a variety of ways.

Register as an Open Calais User

Calais registration is a two-step process. First, we will ask you to create your account and specify your user name and email address. Then we will ask you to accept our Terms of Service and apply for an API key. Here are the specific steps:

1. Go to the Registration page and enter your user name and email address. Click on Create a new account.
2. Within minutes you will receive an email confirming your user name and assigning a password. That email will ask you to log in to request the API key.

Get an API Key

Get an API Key by doing one of the following:

1. Option #1: Log in to http://opencalais.com/user with your user name and assigned password.
2. Option #2: Click on the link in the confirmation email to access the validation page.

After logging in you'll be redirected to a page where you can change your password.

1. Change the password and click Submit at the bottom of the page. You'll be redirected to the Calais Terms of Service.
2. Read the Terms of Service and agree to them by clicking the button at the bottom of the page.
3. Check your email, where you should find a second message that contains your API key.

Having Trouble? Got Questions?

If you do not receive an email within a few minutes, check your spam folder for the email message.

If you've lost or forgotten your API Key, you can retrieve it here.

Visit our Forum to participate in discussions among Calais developers.

FAQs offer insights and answers to many user questions.