upstream-twenty/packages/twenty-docs/developers/extend/capabilities/apis.mdx

---
title: APIs
description: Query and modify your CRM data programmatically using REST or GraphQL.
---

import { VimeoEmbed } from '/snippets/vimeo-embed.mdx';

Twenty was built to be developer-friendly, offering powerful APIs that adapt to your custom data model. We provide four distinct API types to meet different integration needs.

## Developer-First Approach

Twenty generates APIs specifically for your data model:
- **No long IDs required**: Use your object and field names directly in endpoints
- **Standard and custom objects treated equally**: Your custom objects get the same API treatment as built-in ones
- **Dedicated endpoints**: Each object and field gets its own API endpoint
- **Custom documentation**: Generated specifically for your workspace's data model

<Note>
Your personalized API documentation is available under **Settings → API & Webhooks** after creating an API key. Since Twenty generates APIs that match your custom data model, the documentation is unique to your workspace.
</Note>

## The Two API Types

### Core API
Accessed on `/rest/` or `/graphql/`

Work with your actual **records** (the data):
- Create, read, update, delete People, Companies, Opportunities, etc.
- Query and filter data
- Manage record relationships

### Metadata API
Accessed on `/rest/metadata/` or `/metadata/`

Manage your **workspace and data model**:
- Create, modify, or delete objects and fields
- Configure workspace settings
- Define relationships between objects

## REST vs GraphQL

Both Core and Metadata APIs are available in REST and GraphQL formats:

| Format | Available Operations |
|--------|---------------------|
| **REST** | CRUD, batch operations, upserts |
| **GraphQL** | Same + **batch upserts**, relationship queries in one call |

Choose based on your needs — both formats access the same data.

## API Endpoints

| Environment | Base URL |
|-------------|----------|
| **Cloud** | `https://api.twenty.com/` |
| **Self-Hosted** | `https://{your-domain}/` |

## Authentication

Every API request requires an API key in the header:

```
Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY
```

### Create an API Key

1. Go to **Settings → APIs & Webhooks**
2. Click **+ Create key**
3. Configure:
   - **Name**: Descriptive name for the key
   - **Expiration Date**: When the key expires
4. Click **Save**
5. **Copy immediately** — the key is only shown once

<VimeoEmbed videoId="928786722" title="Creating API key" />

<Warning>
Your API key grants access to sensitive data. Don't share it with untrusted services. If compromised, disable it immediately and generate a new one.
</Warning>

### Assign a Role to an API Key

For better security, assign a specific role to limit access:

1. Go to **Settings → Members → Roles**
2. Click on the role to assign
3. Open the **Assignment** tab
4. Under **API Keys**, click **+ Assign to API key**
5. Select the API key

The key will inherit that role's permissions. See [Permissions](/user-guide/permissions-access/capabilities/permissions) for details.

### Manage API Keys

**Regenerate**: Settings → APIs & Webhooks → Click key → **Regenerate**

**Delete**: Settings → APIs & Webhooks → Click key → **Delete**

## API Playground

Test your APIs directly in the browser with our built-in playground — available for both **REST** and **GraphQL**.

### Access the Playground

1. Go to **Settings → APIs & Webhooks**
2. Create an API key (required)
3. Click on **REST API** or **GraphQL API** to open the playground

### What You Get

- **Interactive documentation**: Generated for your specific data model
- **Live testing**: Execute real API calls against your workspace
- **Schema explorer**: Browse available objects, fields, and relationships
- **Request builder**: Construct queries with autocomplete

The playground reflects your custom objects and fields, so documentation is always accurate for your workspace.

## Batch Operations

Both REST and GraphQL support batch operations:
- **Batch size**: Up to 60 records per request
- **Operations**: Create, update, delete multiple records

**GraphQL-only features:**
- **Batch Upsert**: Create or update in one call
- Use plural object names (e.g., `CreateCompanies` instead of `CreateCompany`)

## Rate Limits

API requests are throttled to ensure platform stability:

| Limit | Value |
|-------|-------|
| **Requests** | 100 calls per minute |
| **Batch size** | 60 records per call |

<Tip>
Use batch operations to maximize throughput — process up to 60 records in a single API call instead of making individual requests.
</Tip>