---
title: "Manifest API"
canonical: "https://manifeststartup.com/docs/api"
---
# Manifest API

The Manifest REST API lets you create and manage startup ideas and generate documents for
them (business model canvas, pitch deck, product requirements document and provisional
patent draft) from your own code or from an AI agent. The machine-readable description is
the [OpenAPI specification](/openapi.json).

## Authentication

Every `/api/v1` request (except `GET /api/v1/`) needs an API key in the `Authorization`
header:

```http
Authorization: Bearer manifest_sk_...
```

Signed-in users create API keys from their Manifest account (API access settings), which
uses the session-authenticated key management endpoints under `/api/keys`. Keys carry
scopes: `ideas.read` to read ideas and `ideas.write` to create, update, delete and generate
(the coarse `read` and `write` scopes cover all `*.read` and `*.write` permissions). New
keys default to `read`.

## Endpoints

- `GET /api/v1/` - API name, version and status (no key needed).
- `GET /api/v1/ideas` - list your ideas.
- `POST /api/v1/ideas` - create an idea from a `title` and optional `description`.
- `GET /api/v1/ideas/{idea_id}` - get one idea.
- `PATCH /api/v1/ideas/{idea_id}` - update the title or description.
- `DELETE /api/v1/ideas/{idea_id}` - delete an idea.
- `POST /api/v1/ideas/{idea_id}/generate` - generate documents; `document_types` is any of
  `business_model_canvas`, `pitch_deck`, `prd`, `patent`. The call is synchronous and can
  take a while because it runs AI generation.
- `GET /api/v1/usage` - usage statistics for your API client.

## Quickstart

```bash
curl -s https://manifeststartup.com/api/v1/ideas \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $MANIFEST_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"title": "Solar-powered cold storage for small farms"}'
```

## Errors and limits

Errors return JSON shaped as `{"detail": {"error": {"message", "type", "code"}}}` with
status 401 (missing or invalid key), 403 (missing scope or not your idea), 404 (unknown
idea), 429 (rate or monthly limit reached) or 500. Rate and monthly limits depend on your
API tier; see [pricing and API limits](/pricing.md).

## More

- [Agent guide](/agents.md)
- [API catalog](/.well-known/api-catalog) (RFC 9727)
- [Contact](/contact) for higher limits or integration questions.