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Authentication ​

FluentCRM uses WordPress REST API authentication. You'll need to create application credentials to access the API securely.

Creating API Credentials ​

Step 1: Create a Manager Account ​

First, create a dedicated user account for API access:

  1. Navigate to FluentCRM → Settings → Managers
  2. Click "Add New Manager"
  3. Select the specific FluentCRM permissions you want to grant
  4. Save the manager account

Important

Do NOT use an Administrator user role for API access. Create a dedicated manager account with only the necessary FluentCRM permissions for better security.

Create Manager

Step 2: Generate API Credentials ​

  1. Go to FluentCRM → Settings → Rest API
  2. Click "Create New API Key"
  3. Select the manager account you created in Step 1
  4. Click "Generate Key"

REST API Screen

Step 3: Save Your Credentials ​

After generating the key, you'll receive:

  • Username: Your API username
  • Application Password: Your API password

API Success

Important

Save these credentials immediately! The application password cannot be retrieved later.

Authentication Methods ​

Use HTTP Basic Authentication with your API credentials:

bash
curl "https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/fluent-crm/v2/subscribers" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic $(echo -n 'API_USERNAME:API_PASSWORD' | base64)"

For testing only, you can pass credentials as URL parameters:

bash
curl "https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/fluent-crm/v2/subscribers?_wp_http_referer=API_USERNAME:API_PASSWORD"

Security Notice

Never use URL parameter authentication in production. Always use proper Authorization headers.

Example API Call ​

Here's a complete example of making an authenticated API request:

bash
curl "https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/fluent-crm/v2/subscribers" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic API_USERNAME:API_PASSWORD" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json"

Response ​

json
{
  "current_page": 1,
  "per_page": 10,
  "total": 150,
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "1",
      "first_name": "John",
      "last_name": "Doe", 
      "email": "[email protected]",
      "status": "subscribed"
    }
  ]
}

Programming Language Examples ​

PHP ​

php
<?php
$username = 'your_api_username';
$password = 'your_api_password';
$url = 'https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/fluent-crm/v2/subscribers';

$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, $url);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_USERPWD, "$username:$password");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, [
    'Content-Type: application/json'
]);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

$data = json_decode($response, true);
?>

JavaScript (Node.js) ​

javascript
const axios = require('axios');

const apiCredentials = Buffer.from('API_USERNAME:API_PASSWORD').toString('base64');

const config = {
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Basic ${apiCredentials}`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  }
};

axios.get('https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/fluent-crm/v2/subscribers', config)
  .then(response => {
    console.log(response.data);
  })
  .catch(error => {
    console.error('Error:', error.response.data);
  });

Python ​

python
import requests
from requests.auth import HTTPBasicAuth

username = 'your_api_username'
password = 'your_api_password'
url = 'https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/fluent-crm/v2/subscribers'

response = requests.get(
    url,
    auth=HTTPBasicAuth(username, password),
    headers={'Content-Type': 'application/json'}
)

if response.status_code == 200:
    data = response.json()
    print(data)
else:
    print(f"Error: {response.status_code}")
    print(response.text)

Testing Your Authentication ​

To verify your credentials are working, make a simple API call:

bash
curl "https://yourdomain.com/wp-json/fluent-crm/v2/reports/options" \
  -H "Authorization: Basic API_USERNAME:API_PASSWORD"

If successful, you'll receive a JSON response with FluentCRM options data.

Troubleshooting ​

Common Issues ​

401 Unauthorized Error

  • Verify your username and password are correct
  • Ensure the manager account has proper FluentCRM permissions
  • Check that FluentCRM is properly installed and activated

403 Forbidden Error

  • The manager account may lack necessary permissions
  • Verify the account is not an Administrator role
  • Check FluentCRM permission settings for the manager

404 Not Found Error

  • Verify the API endpoint URL is correct
  • Ensure FluentCRM is installed and the REST API is enabled
  • Check your WordPress permalink structure

Permission Requirements ​

Your API manager account needs these minimum permissions:

  • View Contacts: Required for GET requests
  • Manage Contacts: Required for POST/PUT/DELETE requests
  • View Reports: Required for analytics endpoints
  • Manage Campaigns: Required for campaign operations

Security Best Practices ​

  1. Use HTTPS: Always make API calls over secure connections
  2. Rotate Credentials: Regularly update your API credentials
  3. Limit Permissions: Grant only the minimum required permissions
  4. Monitor Usage: Track API usage for unusual activity
  5. Secure Storage: Never commit credentials to version control

Next Steps ​

Now that you have authentication set up, you can: