# Connect to fal.ai

### Overview

Finout's fal.ai integration lets you ingest cost data, to track fal.ai spend alongside your existing cloud and SaaS services in Finout. This gives you full visibility into key dimensions such as models, requests, and usage types.

Costs from fal.ai are reported as direct usage charges based on compute consumption (e.g., image generation runs, video processing requests). Unlike cloud providers, fal.ai does not offer blended, amortized, or committed-use pricing models. Finout maps fal.ai's raw usage cost into the Unblended Cost field for consistent FinOps reporting.

With this integration, you can:

* Connect one or more fal.ai accounts using an Admin-scoped API key.
* Include fal.ai cost data in custom dashboards, set up alerts to track anomalies, and incorporate it into your financial plans to ensure spend stays within budget.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** Finout uses read-only access to fal.ai's Platform APIs. It does not perform any actions that can create or modify resources or incur costs.
{% endhint %}

### Prerequisites

Before setting up the integration, make sure you have:

* A fal.ai account with access to the **fal.ai Dashboard**.
* Sufficient permissions to create **API keys** in your fal.ai account.
* An **Admin-scoped API key** (required for access to usage and cost data via the Platform APIs).

### Step 1: Create a fal.ai API Key

1. Navigate to the [fal.ai API Keys page](https://fal.ai/dashboard/keys).\
   ![](/files/MhuHg9tkrpGUq5w0lWJa)
2. Click **Add key**.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/jo0DFNjMn4WI2jhtO4LV" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>
3. Set the scope to **Admin** and enter a descriptive name for the key (e.g., "Finout Integration").\
   ![](/files/DJ53uCtANPq3VNdAFo0a)
4. Click **Create Key**.\
   The admin key is created. Copy it immediately and save it securely, as it will not be shown again.

### Step 2: Connect fal.ai to Finout

1. In Finout, navigate to **Settings**.
2. Under **fal.ai**, click **Connect Now**.\
   ![](/files/gr1XPEcSexfUNfE1cq1g)
3. Enter a **Cost Center Name**.
4. Paste the API key created in Step 1 into the **API Key** field and click **Complete Setup**.\
   **Result:** Finout validates the API key, and assuming it is valid, the Cost Center is created. You will receive an email notification once Finout has retrieved your data and set up the current cost center.<br>

   <figure><img src="/files/ClnCM0cvkPDzx0q8LYKb" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

### FAQs

**Does Finout keep track of historical changes to fal.ai model names?**

Finout displays data as returned by fal.ai's APIs. Model identifiers are used as the primary dimension and are immutable. Display names or labels that change on the fal.ai side will be reflected in Finout from the point of change forward; historical data is not automatically updated.

***

{% hint style="info" %}
*Still need help? Please feel free to reach out to our team at <support@finout.io>.*
{% endhint %}


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