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

# New to APIs?

> Plain-language definitions of the terms you'll meet in the Fanvue API: OAuth 2.0, Bearer tokens, scopes, redirect URIs, access vs refresh tokens, and KYC.

New to APIs? This page defines the handful of terms you'll keep seeing in the Fanvue docs. Each one comes with a plain definition and a line on why it matters for Fanvue. Read it once, then come back whenever a word trips you up.

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="OAuth 2.0">
    OAuth 2.0 is the standard way a user lets an app act on their behalf without handing over their password. The user signs in on Fanvue, approves your app, and Fanvue gives the app a token instead of the password.

    **Why it matters for Fanvue:** every Fanvue integration authenticates through OAuth 2.0, so this is the flow you build against.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Bearer token">
    A Bearer token is a string your app sends with each request to prove it's allowed in. You add it to the request as a header: `Authorization: Bearer <your-token>`. Whoever holds the token can use it, so treat it like a password.

    **Why it matters for Fanvue:** every call to `https://api.fanvue.com` needs a valid Bearer token, or the request is rejected.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Scopes">
    Scopes are the specific permissions a token carries. Each scope grants access to one kind of data or action, for example `read:chat` to read messages or `write:post` to publish posts. A request that needs a scope the token doesn't have returns `403 Forbidden`.

    **Why it matters for Fanvue:** you request only the scopes your app needs (such as `read:self`, `read:insights`, or `write:media`), and users see exactly what they're approving.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Redirect URI">
    A redirect URI is the address on your app where Fanvue sends the user back after they sign in and approve access. It must exactly match a redirect URI you registered when you created your OAuth app, otherwise the sign-in is refused.

    **Why it matters for Fanvue:** registering the right redirect URI is what lets the authorization step hand control (and the login result) back to your app.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Access token vs refresh token">
    An access token is the short-lived Bearer token you send on each API call; it expires after about an hour. A refresh token is longer-lived and is used to get a fresh access token without making the user sign in again.

    **Why it matters for Fanvue:** request the `offline_access` scope to receive a refresh token, so your app keeps working after the access token expires.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="KYC (identity verification)">
    KYC, short for Know Your Customer, is the identity verification step Fanvue requires to confirm who you are. You complete it once on your Fanvue creator account.

    **Why it matters for Fanvue:** the Builder area and App Store (creating OAuth apps, managing credentials, publishing apps) are open only to registered creators who have completed KYC. Fans can't access them.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

<Note>The terms above are deliberately brief. Each links onward to the page that uses it in full context.</Note>

## Where to go next

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Make Your First Call" icon="rocket" href="/docs/introduction/first-call">
    Get a token and make one authenticated request, putting these terms into practice.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Authentication overview" icon="lock" href="/docs/authentication/overview">
    How the full OAuth 2.0 flow works on Fanvue, from sign-in to access token.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Scopes" icon="key" href="/docs/authentication/scopes">
    The complete list of scopes and what each one lets your app read or write.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>