Understory API Authentication

How to authenticate Understory API requests: one Bearer API key plus a connectionId. MindCloud runs the OAuth flow and refreshes Understory tokens for you.

Every Understory API request through MindCloud needs two things: a MindCloud API Key and a connectionId for your Understory account. This page covers both, plus exactly how to send them, so you do not need to visit any other page to get authenticated.

Steps to authenticate

Create a MindCloud account at app.mindcloud.co if you do not already have one.
Generate a MindCloud API Key in API Keys. This is the Bearer token you send on every request. Keep it on your server.
Create a Understory connection in Connections. Understory uses OAuth. When you create the connection, you are redirected to sign in to Understory and approve access — MindCloud stores the resulting tokens and refreshes them automatically, so your integration never has to.
Copy the connection’s connectionId — you will send it on every request alongside your MindCloud API Key.

How requests are authenticated

Authentication has two layers. Your MindCloud API Key authenticates the request to MindCloud, sent as a Bearer token in the Authorization header. The connectionId selects the connected Understory account that should run the action. MindCloud stores and refreshes the Understory credentials behind that connection, so you never send provider tokens with your requests.

Pass connectionId in the query string for GET and DELETE actions, and in the JSON body for POST, PUT, and PATCH actions.

For example, calling Get Current User with an Understory connection looks like this:

curl --request POST \
  --url "https://connect.mindcloud.co/v2/universal/apps/understory/actions/get-current-user/run" \
  --header "Authorization: Bearer $MINDCLOUD_API_KEY" \
  --header "Content-Type: application/json" \
  --data '{
  "connectionId": "$CONNECTION_ID",
  "arguments": {}
}'

The Authorization: Bearer <your MindCloud API Key> header authenticates you to MindCloud; the connectionId tells MindCloud which Understory account to run the action against. Missing or invalid Authorization returns 401, and a missing or mismatched connectionId returns 400.

Create Understory internal integration keys

You need access to Understory Backoffice with permission to manage company integrations.

Open the Integrations page in Backoffice
Sign in to Backoffice, open your profile menu in the lower-left corner, choose Company settings, then open the Integrations tab.
Profile menu → Company settings → Integrations
Create a new internal integration key
Click Create new key, enter a descriptive integration name, and select the permissions required for this integration.
Copy the client credentials
Save the Client ID and Secret Key somewhere secure. Understory only shows the Secret Key one time.
Grant the required Understory permissions
Enable only the permissions required by this app: booking.read, booking.write, event.read, experience.read, marketing.read, order.read, webhook.read, and webhook.write.

Keep your key safe

Keep your MindCloud API Key on your server; do not ship it in browser code, mobile apps, public repositories, or logs. Anyone with the key can call the Universal API as your MindCloud account, across every connection you have created.