> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://api.basedock.us/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Base.com Developer Integration Guide: API Overview

> Connect your ERP, WMS, or e-shop to Base.com via API. Covers recommended patterns for orders, products, returns, and the Shops API partner program.

This portal collects proven best-practice patterns for connecting external systems — ERP, WMS, accounting software, or your own e-commerce platform — to Base.com via API. It is designed for developers and integration teams who are already familiar with REST concepts and want clear, opinionated guidance on the most common scenarios. All patterns here complement the official Base.com API reference at [api.baselinker.com](https://api.baselinker.com/) — you'll find links to the relevant API methods throughout each section.

## Two API surfaces

Base exposes two distinct integration surfaces, and understanding which one you need is the first step before writing any code.

**Main Base.com API (**`api.baselinker.com`**)** This is the primary API used by the vast majority of integrations. You authenticate with a token and call it from your own system to:

* Download orders from e-shops, marketplaces, and manual entries in the Base panel
* Sync product inventory, prices, and catalog data
* Generate shipping labels and retrieve tracking numbers
* Issue or attach invoices
* Read and write order statuses and custom fields

Every order carries an `order_source` field that identifies where it originated — e.g. a connected e-shop, a marketplace such as Allegro or Amazon, or a manual entry. The full list of sources and their IDs is returned by [`getOrderSources`](https://api.baselinker.com/index.php?method=getOrderSources).

**Shops API (Partner integration)** If you operate an e-commerce platform and want to offer your customers a native Base.com integration — so their Base account can pull orders and sync stock directly from your platform — you connect via the Shops API. In this model, **Base calls your server**: you implement a defined set of endpoints that Base queries whenever it needs to fetch orders, update stock, or push status changes. This is a partner-level integration and requires activation through Base.

## What's covered

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Orders" icon="cart-shopping" href="/orders/overview">
    Download orders, manage statuses, generate shipping labels, handle invoices, and catch real-time events with webhooks.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Products" icon="box" href="/products/overview">
    Upload product data, sync prices and stock, and manage categories, manufacturers, and multi-warehouse setups.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Returns" icon="rotate-left" href="/returns/downloading-returns">
    Retrieve return records created in Base so your ERP or warehouse system can process refunds and restocking.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Shops API (Partner)" icon="plug" href="/shops-api/how-to-connect">
    Implement the server-side endpoints that let Base pull orders and sync inventory directly from your e-commerce platform.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Base Analytics" icon="chart-bar" href="/analytics/overview">
    Access sales and operational data from Base to power dashboards, reports, and business intelligence workflows.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Getting help

<Note>
  If you run into a scenario that doesn't fit neatly into the standard API endpoints — or you're unsure which integration approach is the right fit for your architecture — contact [Base support](https://www.baselinker.com/contact/). They can help you design and validate the integration before you commit to a particular approach, saving significant rework later.
</Note>