> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tribemade.in/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # API Overview > Complete overview of TribeMade API capabilities and structure ## Introduction **TribeMade** is a zero-cost e-commerce platform that lets you launch your online store in minutes. Unlike traditional platforms that charge monthly fees ($29-$299), TribeMade is completely free to start - we only take a flat 10% fee on successful deliveries, which includes hosting, domain, payment gateway, and **full API access**. ### API at No Extra Cost Every TribeMade store comes with complete API access at no additional charge. Whether you're on your first sale or your thousandth, you get: * **Full REST API** - Create, update, delete products; manage orders programmatically * **Real-time Webhooks** - Get instant notifications when orders are placed * **No API Fees** - API access is included in our 10% flat fee (no usage limits) * **Complete Control** - Automate everything from inventory to order fulfillment This is especially powerful compared to Shopify, where API access and webhooks come with their $29-$299/month plans. ## TribeMade API Capabilities TribeMade API provides a comprehensive REST API for managing your e-commerce store programmatically. Build powerful integrations, automate workflows, and create custom solutions. ## Base URL ``` https://api.tribemade.in ``` All API requests must use this base URL. ## API Capabilities ### 📦 Product Management Create, read, update, and delete products programmatically: * **Get Product** - Retrieve complete product information * **Create Product** - Add new products with complete details * **Edit Product** - Update any product field including prices, stock, images * **Delete Product** - Remove products (with safety checks for active orders) **Features:** * Support for variations, sizes, colors * Multiple images (up to 10 per product) * Custom questions for customer input * Categories and metadata * Internal notes (seller-only) * Stock management * Sale pricing ### 🛍️ Order Management Fetch and update order information: * **Get Order Details** - Retrieve complete order information * **Update Order Status** - Change status and add tracking **Order Status Flow:** ``` started → processing → dispatched → delivered ↘ cancelled (from any status) ``` **Features:** * Complete customer information * Delivery address details * Order items with variations * Special instructions * Custom question responses * Customer ratings and reviews * Tracking URLs ### 🔔 Real-time Webhooks Receive instant notifications: * **order.created** - New order placed * Push notifications to your server * No polling required * Up to 5 webhook URLs ## Authentication All API endpoints require authentication using API keys. ### API Key Format ``` tb-xxxx-xxx-xxxx ``` **Example:** `tb-a1b2-c3d-e4f5` ### How to Authenticate Include your API key in the `X-API-Key` header: ```bash theme={null} curl https://api.tribemade.in/api/orders/ORDER_ID \ -H "X-API-Key: tb-a1b2-c3d-e4f5" ``` ### Get Your API Key 1. Log in to [TribeMade Dashboard](https://tribemade.in/dashboard) 2. Navigate to **Developer** section 3. Click **"Generate API Key"** 4. Copy and store securely API keys have **full access** to your store. Never expose them in client-side code or commit to version control. ## Rate Limits | Endpoint | Rate Limit | | ----------------------------- | ---------- | | **Product APIs** | | | GET /api/products/`` | 50 req/min | | POST /api/products/create | 20 req/min | | PUT /api/products/``/edit | 20 req/min | | DELETE /api/products/`` | 10 req/min | | **Order APIs** | | | GET /api/orders/`` | 50 req/min | | PUT /api/orders/``/status | 20 req/min | Rate limits are per API key (per store) and reset every minute. ## HTTP Status Codes | Code | Meaning | Description | | ---- | --------------------- | -------------------------------------- | | 200 | Success | Request completed successfully | | 201 | Created | Resource created successfully | | 400 | Bad Request | Invalid parameters or validation error | | 401 | Unauthorized | Missing or invalid API key | | 403 | Forbidden | Access denied (wrong store) | | 404 | Not Found | Resource doesn't exist | | 429 | Too Many Requests | Rate limit exceeded | | 500 | Internal Server Error | Server error (rare) | ## Request Format ### Content Type All POST and PUT requests must include: ``` Content-Type: application/json ``` ### Request Body Send data as JSON: ```json theme={null} { "name": "Product Name", "price": 499, "description": "Product description", "stock": 50 } ``` ## Response Format ### Success Response Successful requests return JSON: **Create operations (201):** ```json theme={null} { "product_id": "660e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440123" } ``` **Update/Delete operations (200):** ```json theme={null} { "message": "Product updated successfully" } ``` **Get operations (200):** ```json theme={null} { "id": "770e8400-...", "status": "processing", // ... full object } ``` ### Error Response All errors return JSON with error message: ```json theme={null} { "error": "Error message describing what went wrong" } ``` Some errors include additional context: ```json theme={null} { "error": "All categories must be in store categories", "invalid": ["InvalidCategory"] } ``` ## Data Formats ### Dates and Times All timestamps use **ISO 8601 format in UTC**: ``` 2024-11-16T10:30:45.123456Z ``` ### Currency All prices and amounts are in **Indian Rupees (INR)** as numbers: ```json theme={null} { "price": 1299, "current_price": 999, "amount": 2048.00 } ``` ### UUIDs All IDs are UUIDs (version 4): ``` 770e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440789 ``` ### Phone Numbers Indian phone numbers as strings: ``` 9876543210 ``` ### Pincodes Indian pincodes as strings: ``` 400001 ``` ## Field Constraints ### Product Fields | Field | Type | Min | Max | Notes | | ------------------ | ------- | ------- | --------- | ----------------------- | | name | string | 3 chars | 30 chars | Required | | description | string | 0 chars | 500 chars | Required | | short\_description | string | 0 chars | 50 chars | Optional | | price | number | > 0 | - | Required, INR | | current\_price | number | >= 0 | - | Optional, INR | | stock | integer | >= 0 | - | Required | | shipping\_cost | number | >= 0 | - | Optional, INR | | internal\_note | string | 0 chars | 500 chars | Optional | | primary\_image | string | - | 5MB | Optional, URL or base64 | | images | array | 0 items | 10 items | Optional, each ≤ 5MB | | variations | array | 0 items | 20 items | Optional | | size | array | 0 items | 20 items | Optional | | colors | array | 0 items | 20 items | Optional | | categories | array | 0 items | 20 items | Must exist in store | | custom\_questions | array | 0 items | 5 items | Optional | ### Custom Question Format ```json theme={null} { "question": "Question text (1-200 characters)", "type": "text" // or "image" } ``` **Types:** * `text` - Customer provides text answer * `image` - Customer uploads image ### Order Status Values | Status | Description | Can Change To | | ---------- | ----------------- | --------------------- | | started | Payment received | processing, cancelled | | processing | Being prepared | dispatched, cancelled | | dispatched | Shipped | delivered, cancelled | | delivered | Delivered (final) | - | | cancelled | Cancelled (final) | - | ## Best Practices ### 1. Use Environment Variables Never hardcode API keys: ```python theme={null} import os api_key = os.environ.get('TRIBEMADE_API_KEY') ``` ### 2. Use Webhooks, Not Polling **❌ Don't poll for new orders:** ```python theme={null} while True: check_for_orders() # Wastes API calls time.sleep(60) ``` **✅ Use webhooks:** ```python theme={null} @app.route('/webhook', methods=['POST']) def handle_order(): process_order(request.json) return '', 200 ``` ### 3. Respect Rate Limits * Implement exponential backoff * Monitor `X-RateLimit-Remaining` header * Space out bulk operations * Handle 429 errors gracefully ### 4. Handle Errors Properly * Check HTTP status codes * Parse error messages * Implement retry logic for 500 errors * Don't retry 400/401/403/404 errors ### 5. Validate Before Sending * Check field lengths * Validate data types * Ensure categories exist * Compress images to ≤ 5MB ## Quick Start Checklist * [ ] Get API key from dashboard * [ ] Store API key in environment variable * [ ] Test authentication with a GET request * [ ] Create a test product * [ ] Set up webhook endpoint (optional) * [ ] Configure webhook URL in dashboard * [ ] Test webhook with real order * [ ] Implement error handling * [ ] Add retry logic for failures * [ ] Monitor API usage and errors ## Support and Resources ### Documentation * [Authentication](/api-reference/authentication) - API key setup and security * [Rate Limits](/api-reference/rate-limits) - Detailed rate limit information * [Error Handling](/api-reference/errors) - Complete error reference * [Products](/api-reference/products/create) - Product management APIs * [Orders](/api-reference/orders/get-details) - Order management APIs * [Webhooks](/api-reference/webhooks) - Real-time notifications ### Need Help? * **Dashboard:** [https://tribemade.in/dashboard](https://tribemade.in/dashboard) * **API Base URL:** `https://api.tribemade.in` * **Support:** Contact through your dashboard ## API Versioning Current version: **v1** All endpoints are currently at version 1. Future versions will be documented here. ## Security ### What TribeMade Does * ✅ All API traffic over HTTPS * ✅ API keys are hashed in database * ✅ Rate limiting to prevent abuse * ✅ Input validation on all fields * ✅ Authentication on all endpoints ### What You Should Do * ✅ Store API keys securely * ✅ Use HTTPS for webhooks * ✅ Validate webhook payloads * ✅ Implement proper error handling * ✅ Monitor for unusual activity * ✅ Rotate API keys if compromised **Security Best Practices:** * Never commit API keys to Git * Never expose API keys in client-side code * Always use environment variables * Regenerate keys immediately if exposed ## API Endpoint Summary ### Products ``` GET /api/products/ Get product details POST /api/products/create Create new product PUT /api/products//edit Update product DELETE /api/products/ Delete product ``` ### Orders ``` GET /api/orders/ Get order details PUT /api/orders//status Update order status ``` ### Webhooks ``` POST https://your-domain.com/webhook Receive order.created events ``` ## Next Steps Get started in 5 minutes Learn about API authentication Start creating products Set up real-time notifications