---
title: "API overview"
description: "What the REST API does, where it lives, and how to create, change and publish a site with it."
canonical: "https://atelier201.com/docs/api/overview"
updated: "2026-11-06"
---

# API overview

The API is at `https://api.atelier201.com/v1`. It can do everything the app can,
and the [CLI](/docs/cli/overview) and the [MCP server](/docs/mcp/overview) use
the same contract.

## Your first call

```bash
curl https://api.atelier201.com/v1/account \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $ATELIER201_API_KEY"
```

**Call `/v1/account` first.** One request tells you the workspace, the plan and
precisely which scopes the credential you hold was granted. Discovering those
one 403 at a time is the slow way.

## From nothing to a live site

Each step is one call. Only the last one changes what visitors see.

1. [Create a site](/docs/api/sites/create). It starts from the Atelier201 starter and
   builds once.
2. [Read the content model](/docs/api/content/model), then change texts and
   entries with [Create or update an entry](/docs/api/content/save-entry) and
   [Change one field](/docs/api/content/set-field).
3. [Build the site](/docs/api/builds/start) and poll
   [the build](/docs/api/builds/retrieve) until it is `ready`.
4. [Share a preview](/docs/api/previews/create) and show it to the owner.
5. [Review](/docs/api/publishing/review), then
   [publish](/docs/api/publishing/publish) after the owner approves.

The concepts behind each step are in
[How a site goes live](/docs/platform/drafts-builds-and-publishing).

## Costs

Editing, building, previewing and publishing are part of the site's plan and
spend no credits. One endpoint does: [making an image or video with
AI](/docs/api/media/generate), at a fixed price you get first for free, behind its
own `media:generate` permission. See [Plans and credits](/docs/platform/credits-and-plans).

## What it does not do

It is not a streaming API and it does not hold a connection open. Starting a
build returns at once with a `queued` build, and you poll for the result. A build
survives your client disconnecting.