# Introduction (https://developer.godaddy.com/en/docs/api-users)

***

title: Introduction
description: Call GoDaddy's REST APIs directly from your code, scripts, or AI agents.
related:
guides:

* title: "Quickstart"
  href: "/docs/api-users/quickstart"
* title: "Authenticate"
  href: "/docs/api-users/auth"
* title: "Set up the CLI"
  href: "/docs/api-users/cli/set-up"
* title: "Agent skill for gddy"
  href: "/docs/api-users/cli/agent-skill"
  concepts:
* title: "Handle errors"
  href: "/docs/api-users/errors"
* title: "Rate limits"
  href: "/docs/api-users/rate-limits"

***

## Overview

GoDaddy's REST APIs give you direct programmatic access to the same platform capabilities that power GoDaddy's own products — through standard HTTP calls from your code, scripts, or AI agents.

**Domains** — search and register domains, manage DNS, and handle renewals, transfers, and forwarding.

## Start here

New to the GoDaddy Domains API? Follow this path:

| Step                                                  | Time   | What you'll do                                                                       |
| ----------------------------------------------------- | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| [Generate a PAT](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/auth/how-to)         | 2 min  | Create a scoped Personal Access Token from the developer dashboard                   |
| [Make your first call](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/quickstart)    | 3 min  | Check domain availability with a single `curl` command — no account changes required |
| [Search for domains](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/domains/search)  | 5 min  | Check availability and get suggestions for a domain name                             |
| [Register a domain](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/domains/register) | 10 min | Walk through the v3 quote-and-register flow with billing consent                     |

Already up and running? Jump straight to [manage your domains](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/domains/manage) or go to the [Domains v3 API reference](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/references/rest/domains/v3).

## What you can do

## Which API version?

The Domains API has three version namespaces. Pick the right one before you start.

| Operation                                                    | Version |
| ------------------------------------------------------------ | ------- |
| Check domain availability, get domain suggestions            | v3      |
| Register a domain                                            | v3      |
| DNS records and nameserver management                        | v3      |
| Change domain settings (auto-renew, registry lock, contacts) | v1      |
| Domain transfer                                              | v1      |
| Domain forwarding                                            | v2      |

## Base URL

All API calls target `https://api.godaddy.com`.

All requests and responses use JSON. Every call requires an `Authorization` header with a [Personal Access Token](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/auth). Read operations also need `Accept: application/json`, and write operations (`POST`, `PATCH`, `PUT`) additionally need `Content-Type: application/json`.

```bash
curl -s "https://api.godaddy.com/v1/domains" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $GODADDY_PAT" \
  -H "Accept: application/json"
```

The API is stateless — no sessions, no cookies. Each request is independently authenticated and authorized. See the [REST Reference](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/references/rest) for the complete endpoint catalog.

## Credentials and access

Authentication uses a Personal Access Token (PAT) (a scoped Bearer token you generate from the [developer dashboard](https://developer.godaddy.com/personal-access-token)). PATs are tied to specific capability scopes, can be set to expire, and can be revoked individually without rotating any account-wide key. For most integrations, a PAT with the minimum required scopes is the right choice.

The legacy `sso-key` credential (a key/secret pair from ) is still supported for some APIs but is scheduled for deprecation. It doesn't work for v3 Domains APIs. New integrations should use a PAT.

**Account eligibility matters for write calls.** A valid credential isn't enough on its own. Some operations require the account to meet additional eligibility requirements:

* Read operations (availability search, domain listing, DNS reads) work with any valid credential on any account.
* Write operations that cost money (registration, renewal, transfer, and payment operations) require the account to have a valid billing method on file or a funded [Good as Gold](https://www.godaddy.com/help/what-is-good-as-gold-3359) balance.

If an account doesn't meet these requirements, the API returns `403 Forbidden`. To determine whether the failure is a scope problem or an account eligibility problem, check the `code` field in the response body. The HTTP status alone doesn't distinguish between the two.

Go to [How to Authenticate](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/auth/how-to) to create credentials, or [About Authentication](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/auth) for the full reference.

## API versions

The Domains API spans three version namespaces, each reflecting a different phase of the platform's evolution:

| Version | Base path                                | What's here                                                                         |
| ------- | ---------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| v3      | `/v3/domains/...`                        | Availability checks and registration (the preferred namespace for new integrations) |
| v2      | `/v2/customers/{customerId}/domains/...` | v1 capabilities with async processing and operations tracking                       |
| v1      | `/v1/domains/...`                        | List, DNS, contacts, lock, and renewals                                             |

v3 is where new capabilities are being added. For everything not yet in v3 (DNS, renewals, transfers, contacts, lock), use v1 or v2.

## In this section

## First call

Follow the [Quickstart](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/quickstart) to generate a Personal Access Token and make your first call in under five minutes. If you prefer command-line workflows over raw `curl`, [set up the CLI](https://developer.godaddy.com/docs/api-users/cli/set-up) first.