Before using the API, you will need to create a Swell account.

Your account provides access to your store ID and API key which are necessary for API access. To get your API keys, navigate to the Developer section in the dashboard's left-hand nav and select API keys.

  • Your store ID is located at the top of the API keys page.
  • Click on the eye icon to reveal a Secret key in order to copy it.

You can add or revoke secret keys if the security of any key is compromised.

API authentication differs depending on which library is being used when accessing the API. Refer to the authentication example below when using any of the official API libraries.

While the HTTP protocol is supported, official libraries use a custom wire protocol that improves performance and caching. When using these libraries, your server must be able to connect to the API on port 8443. If you have trouble connecting, have a system administrator check your firewall settings.

When calling the API directly over HTTP, authenticate with basic auth using your store ID as the username and a secret key as the password:

curl https://api.swell.store/products \
  -u your-store-id:your-secret-key

Keys are environment-specific: secret keys prefixed sk_test_ route requests to your store's test environment, while sk_live_ keys target live data.