API-First Credentialing Workflows

Why API-First Infrastructure Matters

Modern software platforms require headless, programmatic control over every core operational service. Credential issuance should not be an isolated, manual administrative task. When a learner completes a course in a Learning Management System (LMS), passes a technical exam on an assessment platform, or finishes an event, the issuing system should automatically generate, cryptographically sign, and distribute their credential without human intervention.

iCertify's API-first architecture enables software engineers to embed verifiable credential creation directly into existing software stacks using standard REST endpoints, webhooks, and JSON payloads.

Core API Architecture & Endpoints

The iCertify REST API adheres to OpenAPI 3.0 specifications, requiring HTTPS and Bearer Token authentication. The primary endpoints include:

• POST /api/v1/certificates/issue — Issue a single verifiable credential.
• POST /api/v1/certificates/batch — Submit an asynchronous bulk issuance queue job.
• GET /api/v1/certificates/:id — Retrieve metadata and verification status for a specific credential.
• PATCH /api/v1/certificates/:id/status — Update credential status (PUBLISHED, REVOKED, EXPIRED).
• POST /api/v1/webhooks/subscriptions — Register webhook event listeners.

Event-Driven Webhooks & Idempotency

To ensure high reliability, iCertify supports incoming and outgoing webhooks with idempotency enforcement:

• Idempotency-Key Header: Prevents duplicate certificate generation during network retries or server timeouts.
• Webhook Events: Subscribe to events such as certificate.issued, certificate.delivered, certificate.viewed, and certificate.revoked.
• HMAC Signature Verification: Webhook payloads include a X-iCertify-Signature header signed with your secret key to prevent spoofing.

Enterprise Security Checklist for Developer Teams

1. Store API Keys strictly in environment variables or secret vaults (never commit keys to code repositories).
2. Implement idempotency keys on all issuance network calls.
3. Validate HMAC signatures on incoming webhook callbacks.
4. Enforce HTTPS for all custom webhook endpoint URLs.
5. Implement graceful retry backoff algorithms (exponential backoff) for API rate limits.