> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.geko.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# FAQ & troubleshooting

> Common questions and fixes.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="My first request is slow or times out">
    The GPU scales to zero when idle, so the first call after a quiet period pays a **cold start** (tens of seconds); the next calls are fast. Keep the SDK's default 120 s timeout, and for predictable traffic send a lightweight `geko.health()` to pre-warm. See [Latency & quality](/guides/latency).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I'm getting 401 Unauthorized">
    The `Authorization: Bearer sk-tokay-…` header is missing or the key is wrong/revoked. Create or check keys in the [console](https://app.geko.sh). With the SDK, pass `apiKey` or set `GEKO_API_KEY`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I'm getting 429 (out of credits)">
    Your organization's balance is depleted. Top up in the [console](https://app.geko.sh). The SDK does not retry 429 — a retry can't create credits. See [Billing](/billing).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I'm getting 503 'auth backend unavailable'">
    A transient hiccup validating the key. The SDK retries `503` automatically with backoff; if it persists, retry shortly or check the [console](https://app.geko.sh).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I call the API from the browser?">
    CORS is enabled, so cross-origin calls work — **but never ship your API key to the client** (it's public the moment it's in browser code). Proxy through your own server. See [Use it in your app](/guides/frameworks).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I get MP3 or Opus instead of WAV?">
    The API returns WAV (and raw `pcm` via the OpenAI endpoint) today. Convert locally with `ffmpeg` — see [Playing & saving audio](/guides/playing-audio). Native MP3/Opus is on the [roadmap](/roadmap).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Which voice should I use?">
    Fetch the live catalog with [`geko.tts.voices()`](/voices) (or `GET /v1/voices`) — each entry has `style` and `best_for` to guide the choice. `Aigerim` is the default.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How do I stream audio for a voice agent?">
    Use [`geko.tts.stream()`](/sdk/typescript) (SDK `0.3.0`+), which yields one WAV chunk per sentence so playback can start sooner. It needs the streaming endpoint `POST /v1/tts/stream`.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Is there a Python SDK?">
    Not yet — use the [OpenAI-compatible endpoint](/guides/openai) with the `openai` Python package, or call the [HTTP API](/api/reference) directly. A native Python SDK is on the [roadmap](/roadmap).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="How is usage billed?">
    By **input characters**, per organization — \$0.04 / 1,000 chars. See [Billing & credits](/billing).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

Still stuck? Open an issue on [GitHub](https://github.com/gekoai) or email [amirlan@geko.sh](mailto:amirlan@geko.sh).

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Errors & retries" icon="shield-check" href="/sdk/errors">
    Every status code, when it retries, and how to handle it.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Latency & quality" icon="gauge-high" href="/guides/latency">
    Cold starts, keep-warm, and the `nfe` dial.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Billing & credits" icon="credit-card" href="/billing">
    How usage is metered and what 429 means.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication" icon="key" href="/authentication">
    Create keys and fix a 401.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>