Authentication and billing - Meridian

Meridian is accessed publicly through Context Protocol. Context supplies authentication, marketplace discovery, billing, spend controls, and the official remote MCP endpoint.

Create a key

Create an API key at ctxprotocol.com/settings. Production keys begin with sk_live_.

export CONTEXT_API_KEY="sk_live_YOUR_KEY"

Key handling

Keep the key on a backend, server, or trusted local agent.
Never expose it in browser JavaScript.
Never place it in a URL or query string.
Never commit it to source control.
Rotate the key immediately if it appears in logs or screenshots.

Billing modes

Mode	Context method	Best for
Query	`client.query.run()`	Natural-language questions, grounding, managed orchestration
Execute	`client.tools.execute()`	Exact method calls, raw structured output, explicit per-call spending controls

Execute availability is method-specific. Resolve Meridian’s stable tool ID, inspect the selected method’s executeEligible and executePriceUsd fields, then execute it with a per-session spending cap. If a method is not Execute-eligible, use pinned Query mode.

Pricing and wallet settlement are owned by Context Protocol. Meridian documentation does not override the current price shown by Context discovery or execution responses.