---
id: references/operational-overview.md
name: operational
description: Operational guidance for securely and reliably integrating Alchemy APIs. Covers API key management, JWT authentication, rate limits, compute unit budgeting, monitoring, alerting, and production readiness. Use before deploying any Alchemy integration to production.
tags: []
related: []
updated: 2026-02-14
metadata:
  author: alchemyplatform
  version: "1.0"
---
# Operational & Integration Hygiene

## Summary
Operational guidance for securely and reliably integrating Alchemy APIs: auth, limits, monitoring, and production rollout.

## References (Recommended Order)
1. [operational-auth-and-keys.md](operational-auth-and-keys.md) - API key basics and environment setup.
2. [operational-jwt-and-header-auth.md](operational-jwt-and-header-auth.md) - JWT and header-based auth patterns.
3. [operational-allowlists.md](operational-allowlists.md) - IP and domain allowlisting guidance.
4. [operational-rate-limits-and-compute-units.md](operational-rate-limits-and-compute-units.md) - CU budgeting and rate-limiting strategy.
5. [operational-pricing-and-plans.md](operational-pricing-and-plans.md) - Plan selection and cost considerations.
6. [operational-dashboard-tools.md](operational-dashboard-tools.md) - Dashboard features for usage visibility.
7. [operational-request-logs.md](operational-request-logs.md) - Request tracing and debugging.
8. [operational-alerts.md](operational-alerts.md) - Alerting and monitoring patterns.
9. [operational-roles-and-sso.md](operational-roles-and-sso.md) - Team access controls.
10. [operational-sandbox.md](operational-sandbox.md) - Dev/test environment guidance.
11. [operational-supported-networks.md](operational-supported-networks.md) - Network availability and selection.
12. [operational-best-practices.md](operational-best-practices.md) - Production readiness checklist.

## Official Docs
- [Compute Units](https://www.alchemy.com/docs/reference/compute-units)
- [Pricing Plans](https://www.alchemy.com/docs/reference/pricing-plans)
