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Base URL

The Anchor API is accessible at your self-hosted instance: 
http://localhost:3001
For production deployments, replace with your configured APP_URL.

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API Prefix

All API endpoints are prefixed with /api: 
http://localhost:3001/api/notes
http://localhost:3001/api/tags
http://localhost:3001/api/auth

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Content Type

All requests must use application/json content type for request bodies: 
Content-Type: application/json

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Request Validation

The API uses strict validation:
  • Required fields must be present
  • Extra fields not defined in the schema are rejected
  • Field types are enforced (strings, booleans, arrays, etc.)
  • Whitespace is automatically trimmed where appropriate

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Rate Limiting

Anchor does not currently implement rate limiting. Consider implementing rate limiting at the reverse proxy level for production deployments.

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Error Responses

All errors follow a consistent format: 
{
  "statusCode": 400,
  "message": "Validation failed",
  "error": "Bad Request"
}

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Common Error Codes

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400
Bad Request
Invalid request body or parameters
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401
Unauthorized
Missing or invalid authentication token
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403
Forbidden
Insufficient permissions or feature disabled
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404
Not Found
Resource does not exist or user lacks access
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409
Conflict
Resource already exists (e.g., duplicate email)
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500
Internal Server Error
Unexpected server error

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Response Formats

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Success Response

Successful requests return appropriate status codes:
  • 200 OK - Successful GET, PATCH, DELETE
  • 201 Created - Successful POST (resource creation)

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Empty Responses

Some endpoints return no content:
  • 204 No Content - Successful deletion with no body
  • Empty object {} for operations with no return value

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Data Types

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Timestamps

All timestamps use ISO 8601 format: 
"2026-03-02T10:30:00.000Z"

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UUIDs

All resource IDs are UUIDs v4: 
"550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000"

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Enums

The API uses specific enum values for state management: NoteState
  • active - Normal note state
  • trashed - Soft-deleted, in trash
  • deleted - Permanently deleted
NoteSharePermission
  • viewer - Read-only access
  • editor - Read and write access
UserStatus
  • active - Active user account
  • pending - Awaiting admin approval
RegistrationMode
  • disabled - No new registrations
  • enabled - Open registration
  • review - Registration requires admin approval

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Next Steps

Authentication

Learn how to authenticate API requests

Notes

Manage notes with full CRUD operations

Tags

Organize notes with tags

Sharing

Share notes with other users

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Health Check

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Check API Health

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GET /api/health
endpoint
Health check endpoint to verify the API is running and responsive.
Authentication: None (public endpoint) 
curl -X GET http://localhost:3001/api/health

{
  "status": "ok"
}
This endpoint is used by monitoring tools and health checks in Docker/Kubernetes deployments. It does not check database connectivity - it only confirms the API server is running.

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