> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://developer.vario-software.de/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://developer.vario-software.de/documentation/rest-api/introduction.md).

# Introduction

How to reach the VARIO Cloud REST API — base URL, tenant-specific endpoints, and the OpenAPI specification.

The VARIO Cloud REST API lets you read and write ERP data from your own applications and integrations. It is a standard HTTP API secured with **OAuth 2.0** and exposes the same service layer that powers the ERP itself.

Typical uses: synchronising articles, prices and stock with another system; importing orders; creating and transferring documents; reading master data for a report or a portal; and everything a [VARIO Cloud App](/documentation/apps/introduction.md) does on the server side.

To call the API you need two things: an **access token** (see [Authentication](/documentation/rest-api/authentication.md)) and the correct **base URL** for your tenant. Both come from an App you register — see [Create an App](/documentation/apps/create-an-app.md).

## Where to look for what

|                                                                        | Contents                                                                                                                                        |
| ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Documentation** (these pages)                                        | How the platform works — authentication, paging and filtering, webhooks, the query language, concepts you need before the reference makes sense |
| [**API Reference**](https://developer.vario-software.de/api-reference) | Every endpoint, generated from the OpenAPI specification: paths, parameters, request and response schemas                                       |
| [**Cookbook**](https://developer.vario-software.de/cookbook)           | One page per integration domain — shops, shipping, banking, accounting, POS                                                                     |

Rule of thumb: come here to understand *how* something works, go to the API Reference to look up *what exactly* to send.

## Base URL

Every API request goes to your **tenant-specific** base URL:

```
https://{subdomain}.vario.cloud/api/vario
```

Replace `{subdomain}` with your own tenant subdomain — the same one you use to reach your VARIO Cloud installation. For example, if you access your installation at `https://mycompany.vario.cloud`, your API base URL is:

```
https://mycompany.vario.cloud/api/vario
```

All endpoint paths in this documentation and in the [API reference](https://developer.vario-software.de/api-reference) are relative to this base URL. For example, executing a [VQL](/documentation/fundamentals/vql.md) query:

```
POST https://mycompany.vario.cloud/api/vario/cmn/computed-queries/execute
```

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Use your own tenant subdomain — not the address shown in the API reference.**\
The server address displayed at the top of the interactive [API reference](https://developer.vario-software.de/api-reference) is an internal placeholder and is not reachable from the outside. Always build your base URL from your own tenant subdomain, as shown above.
{% endhint %}

{% hint style="info" %}
**The base URL is not the same as the authentication URL.**\
Access tokens are requested from the identity server at `https://sso.vario.cloud/realms/<TENANT>/protocol/openid-connect/token`. Once you have a token, you send your actual API requests to `https://{subdomain}.vario.cloud/api/vario`. See [Authentication](/documentation/rest-api/authentication.md).
{% endhint %}

## Tenant-specific OpenAPI specification

The [API reference](https://developer.vario-software.de/api-reference) lists every available endpoint. For the exact, **tenant-specific** server URL and the endpoints enabled for your installation, download the OpenAPI (Swagger) specification directly from your VARIO ERP:

1. Open your VARIO ERP [support mode](https://help.vario-software.de/support/melden-von-problemen-in-vario-cloud/support-modus).
2. Download the OpenAPI specification for your installation.

The `servers` entry in that file contains the correct base URL for your tenant. You can also import the file into tools such as Postman, Insomnia, or a code generator to work against your installation directly.

## Type definitions

If you build your integration in TypeScript or JavaScript, the [@vario-software/types](https://www.npmjs.com/package/@vario-software/types) package provides type definitions for the VARIO Cloud platform — including typed API calls and the OpenAPI schemas — giving your editor autocompletion and type checking. See the package page for setup instructions.

The same package also covers [Scripting](/documentation/scripting/introduction.md#type-definitions).

## Before you start

* **Authenticate every request** with an OAuth 2.0 access token — see [Authentication](/documentation/rest-api/authentication.md).
* **Always send a `User-Agent` header.** Requests without one are rejected with `403 Forbidden`.
* API traffic is subject to [rate limiting](/documentation/rest-api/rate-limiting.md).


---

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Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
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```

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