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

# Introduction

> Zero-knowledge AI intent verification for modern applications

## What is Aether Citadel?

Aether Citadel is a **privacy-first API** that verifies AI intent signatures using zero-knowledge proofs. It ensures AI decisions are traceable, tamper-proof, and free of personally identifiable information.

Think of it as **the security gate between your users and your AI** — every AI interaction gets a cryptographic fingerprint, verified before it can affect your systems.

```
Your App
    │
    │  POST /v1/intent/generate   ← "What does this user intend?"
    │  POST /v1/intent/verify     ← "Was this AI response legitimate?"
    ▼
┌────────────────────────────┐
│      Aether Citadel        │
│  api.aethercitadel.cloud   │
│                            │
│  ✦ Zero-knowledge UIS      │  ← No PII ever leaves your system
│  ✦ Bharat-Shield gate      │  ← AI fraud detection
│  ✦ Sovereign context       │  ← GDPR + DPDP compliant by design
└────────────────────────────┘
```

## Why Aether Citadel?

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Zero PII" icon="shield">
    Intent signatures are SHA-256 hashes of semantic context. No names, emails, or user data ever cross the boundary.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Bharat-Shield" icon="sword">
    India-first fraud detection that blocks replay attacks, intent spoofing, and AI hallucination injection.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Instant Integration" icon="bolt">
    One header. `X-Citadel-Key: ack_live_xxx` — no SDK required, works with any HTTP client.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Compliance Ready" icon="check">
    Designed for GDPR, India's DPDP Act, and HIPAA-adjacent workloads. Audit logs on every verification.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Who Uses It?

| Use Case                  | What Citadel Solves                                            |
| ------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **AI SaaS**               | Verifies every AI call is legitimate before serving output     |
| **Fintech**               | Zero-knowledge auth — no PII in fraud detection pipeline       |
| **Healthcare AI**         | Proves AI decisions are traceable without storing patient data |
| **AdTech / MadTech**      | Intent-based targeting with zero PII exposure                  |
| **Compliance-heavy apps** | Cryptographic proof that your AI pipeline is clean             |

## Base URL

```
https://api.aethercitadel.cloud
```

## Ready to start?

<Card title="Quickstart →" icon="rocket" href="/quickstart">
  Get your API key and make your first intent verification in under 5 minutes.
</Card>