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

# API Integration Overview

> Integrate Cartally with any e-commerce platform using the product API.

If your store runs on a platform not natively supported by Cartally (e.g. a custom-built shop, headless commerce, or an unsupported CMS), you can integrate via the **Custom API** method.

## How it works

1. You create an API endpoint on your server that returns your product catalog in the Cartally-compatible JSON format.
2. In the Cartally panel, select **API** as the integration method and provide the endpoint URL.
3. Cartally periodically fetches products from your endpoint and indexes them for search.

## What you need

* An HTTPS endpoint that returns your products as JSON.
* (Optional) An API key for authentication.
* Products formatted according to the [product data specification](/custom-api).

## Integration guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Product Data Format" icon="database" href="/custom-api">
    Full specification of the JSON format Cartally expects from your API.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Search & AI Endpoints" icon="magnifying-glass" href="/api-endpoint">
    Documentation of the search and AI chat endpoints your widget uses.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>