:layout: landing
:description: Submit orders and retrieve packing outputs with the ALPHA REST API; webhooks signal when optimization is ready.

.. _overview:

ALPHA API
=========

.. rst-class:: lead

   Submit shipment orders and retrieve packing instructions over the REST API.

.. container:: buttons

   :doc:`Quickstart </getting-started/first-order>`
   :doc:`API reference </api-reference/index>`

----

.. _environments:

Base URLs
---------

.. list-table::
   :header-rows: 1
   :widths: 24 38 38
   :align: left

   * - **Environment**
     - **API base URL**
     - **Portal**
   * - Production
     - ``https://api.alphaaugmented.com``
     - `portal.alphaaugmented.com <https://portal.alphaaugmented.com>`_
   * - Sandbox
     - ``https://api-sandbox.alphaaugmented.com``
     - `sandbox.alphaaugmented.com <https://sandbox.alphaaugmented.com>`_

Authentication uses an API key on every request (:doc:`/getting-started/authentication`).

How it works
------------

#. :doc:`Create an order </api/orders/submit-order>` for an onboarded lane,
   providing the correct supplier, consignee, and cargo.
#. Wait for packing optimization (webhook or polling).
#. :doc:`Download packing instructions </api/orders/download-packing-instructions>`
   or read :doc:`pallet contents </api/orders/pallet-contents>`.

Details: :doc:`/getting-started/integration-lifecycle`.

Documentation
-------------

.. grid:: 1 1 2 2
   :gutter: 3
   :padding: 0
   :class-row: surface

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`rocket` Get started
      :link: getting-started/index
      :link-type: doc

      Quickstart, authentication, integration lifecycle.

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`repo` API reference
      :link: api-reference/index
      :link-type: doc

      Orders and Webhooks endpoints.

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`light-bulb` Domain model
      :link: concepts/index
      :link-type: doc

      Items, boxes, pallets, and packing concepts.

   .. grid-item-card:: :octicon:`broadcast` Webhooks
      :link: webhooks/index
      :link-type: doc

      Notify your server of events, such as when packing instructions are
      ready.

.. toctree::
   :maxdepth: 3
   :titlesonly:
   :hidden:

   getting-started/index
   api-reference/index
   concepts/index
   units-of-measure
   troubleshooting
   release-notes