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

# API Overview

> Start here: what Cora's API does, how auth works, and where to find account docs.

## What This API Is For

Use Cora's API to let your systems read and update account data in Cora.

Main use cases:

* Fetch one account by `externalId`
* Fetch multiple accounts by `externalId`
* Update account fields from your CRM or servicing platform
* Bulk create or update accounts by `externalId`
* Manage organization API keys in the dashboard

## How To Read These Docs

Read in this order:

1. [API Overview](/)
2. [Implementation Guide](/implementation-guide)
3. [Authentication & Signing](/authentication)
4. [Account](/account-overview)
5. [Get one account](/accounts-get-one)
6. [Get multiple accounts](/accounts-get-multiple)
7. [Update one account](/accounts-update-one)
8. [Bulk upsert accounts](/accounts-bulk-upsert)
9. [Status codes and errors](/accounts-status-codes-errors)

## Base Paths

External account endpoints:

* `/external-api/accounts`

## API Key Lifecycle

Create and manage keys in Cora at `Settings > Integrations > External API Keys`.

Important behavior:

* Full key value is shown only once at creation
* Keys do not auto-rotate
* Rotate manually by creating a new key and revoking the old one

## Request Authentication Model

* `GET /external-api/...`: API key only
* `PATCH` and `POST` write requests under `/external-api/...`: API key + HMAC signature

See full details in [Authentication & Signing](/authentication).

## Response Contract

All external account endpoints return:

* `success`: boolean
* `code`: machine-readable code
* `message`: human-readable summary

Success responses include endpoint data (for example `account`, `accounts`). Error responses always include `success: false` and a specific `code`.

Example:

```json theme={null}
{
  "success": false,
  "code": "INVALID_API_KEY",
  "message": "Invalid API key"
}
```