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Quickstart

Follow these four steps to go from zero to sending the first message through the eCourtDate API. The entire process takes about five minutes.

Prerequisites​

Before starting, have the following ready:

  • An eCourtDate Console account with at least one agency assigned (sign in here)
  • A terminal or command prompt to run commands. On macOS open Terminal (found in Applications > Utilities), on Windows open PowerShell or Command Prompt

The examples below use curl, a command-line tool for making HTTP requests that comes pre-installed on most operating systems. A curl command typed into the terminal sends a request to the API and prints the response. If preferred a graphical interface, Postman is a popular alternative for building and sending API requests visually.

Use the Staging Environment First

All examples in this guide use the staging API at staging.api.ecourtdate.com. Staging simulates outbound messages so nothing is actually delivered. It is the safest place to experiment. Once the integration is working, switch the base URL to the assigned production region.

Step 1: Get The API Credentials​

  1. Sign in to the eCourtDate Console.
  2. Navigate to APIs (console.ecourtdate.com/apis).
  3. Create a new API key (or use an existing one). This issues a Client ID and a Client Secret.
  4. Store both values securely. The client secret is only displayed once.

Step 2: Get an Access Token​

Exchange the client credentials for a bearer token using the OAuth 2.0 client_credentials grant:

curl -X POST https://staging.api.ecourtdate.com/oauth/token \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "client_id": "YOUR_CLIENT_ID",
    "client_secret": "YOUR_CLIENT_SECRET",
    "grant_type": "client_credentials"
  }'

A successful response returns an access token:

{
  "access_token": "eyJhbGciOiJSUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6...",
  "token_type": "Bearer"
}

Access tokens are valid for 1 year. After a token expires, request a new one by repeating this step.

Use this token in the Authorization header of all subsequent requests.

Step 3: Verify Access​

Confirm that the token is valid by fetching the agency settings:

curl -X GET https://staging.api.ecourtdate.com/v1/settings \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN"

A 200 OK response containing the agency configuration confirms success. A 401 Unauthorized means the client credentials or the token expiry need checking.

Step 4: Send a Test Message​

Send a one-off message to verify end-to-end connectivity:

curl -X POST https://staging.api.ecourtdate.com/v1/messages/oneoffs \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_ACCESS_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": "+15551234567",
    "subject": "Test Message",
    "content": "Hello from eCourtDate! This is a test message."
  }'

A successful response returns the created message resource with a uuid for tracking its status.

note

Because in use the staging environment, the message will be created and tracked but will not actually be delivered to the recipient. This is expected behavior.

Troubleshooting​

  • Getting a 401 Unauthorized response? Double-check that the Client ID and Client Secret are correct, that they were copied without extra spaces, and that the token has not expired (tokens are valid for 1 year).
  • Getting a 403 Forbidden response? Verify that the agency is active in the Console and that in use an API client token (not a user login token).
  • Connection refused or timeout? Make sure the network allows outbound HTTPS connections to *.api.ecourtdate.com on port 443.

Next Steps​

  • API Docs: Full endpoint documentation, request/response schemas, and code examples.
  • Environments & Regions: Learn about production regions and how staging differs from production.
  • Authentication Overview: API key management and OAuth/SSO options.
  • Common Concepts: Understand UUIDs, references, and the core data model.
  • API Reference: Browse all available endpoints, request schemas, and response formats.