---
title: FourKites® API Reference
slug: fourkites-api-reference
description: An overview of the FourKites® API — what it is, how requests and authentication work, what's covered in this reference, and where to go next.
createdAt: 2026-09-04T08:47:44.637Z
---

This is the reference documentation for **Version 1 (v1)** of the FourKites® API. It's organized around [REST](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Representational_State_Transfer) principles: predictable, resource-oriented URLs, [JSON-encoded](http://www.json.org/) request and response bodies, and standard HTTP verbs and status codes.

This reference is for developers integrating with FourKites — whether you're sending shipment, order, or facility data to FourKites, pulling data out for your own systems, or receiving real-time updates via webhooks.

## The basics

| Property                | Value                                                            |
| ----------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Protocol**            | HTTPS only — plain HTTP requests will fail                       |
| **Format**              | JSON in, JSON out                                                |
| **Production base URL** | `https://api.fourkites.com`                                      |
| **Staging base URL**    | `https://api-staging.fourkites.com`                              |
| **Current version**     | `v1`, set via an `Accept` header (defaults to latest if omitted) |

A minimal request looks like this:

```javascript
curl 'https://api.fourkites.com/shipments' \
  -H 'apikey: your_api_key' \
  -H 'Accept: application/vnd.fourkites.v1+json' \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json'
```

Most endpoints authenticate with an API key, but a few (noted in each article) use Basic Auth or OAuth2 instead, and some live under a separate `tracking-api.fourkites.com` host. The [Authentication](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/ficf-authentication) article covers all three methods in detail, and [Making Requests](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/i47-making-requests) covers versioning, pagination, rate limits, and date/time formatting.

To get an API key, ask your Company Admin — keys are managed directly in the FourKites platform. See [API Credentials](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/rhki-api-credentials) for details.

## What's in this reference

| Section                                                        | What it covers                                                                                                                                                                     |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **[Create Shipment](docId\:ZWhRz8IVWmfFmf8ZmkAGM)**            | Create, update, and track shipments across Truckload, LTL, Parcel, Rail/Intermodal, Ocean, and Air — plus documents, temperature monitoring, and shareable tracking links (E-URLs) |
| **[Order Lifecycle Visibility](docId\:l5BRRQJcEual8BPcgdjvq)** | Track purchase orders and their associated deliveries independently of load-level tracking                                                                                         |
| **[Inventory Visibility](docId\:T51Wc_nr5T9Zw-hEousGN)**       | Stockout risk and OTIF impact forecasting based on inventory and tracking data                                                                                                     |
| **[Appointment Manager](docId:_HRUlwnsRZq23-JKgSpLI)**         | Facility appointment scheduling — book, reschedule, cancel, and check in/out of dock slots                                                                                         |
| **[Webhooks](docId\:HLBKQTxPWjwPjYh2qnLeN)**                   | Real-time callback events for shipment, order, and facility updates, delivered to your own endpoint                                                                                |
| **[Insights API](docId\:Zmu26ch2nRvH9tD-l2LhH)**               | Bulk data extracts for tracking quality and analytics reporting                                                                                                                    |

:::hint{type="info"}
**Not everything here is included by default.** Ocean and LTL/Parcel tracking, Order Lifecycle Visibility, Inventory Visibility, Appointment Manager, Webhooks, and the Insights API are all separately licensed add-ons; see [Subscriptions](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/zdn-confi) for the full list, or check with your Customer Success Manager if you're not sure what's enabled on your account.
:::

## A practical starting point

If you're integrating shipment tracking for the first time, this is roughly the order things come together:

:::BlockQuote{listStyleType="decimal" listRestartPolite="1" indent="1"}
Get an API key and confirm your base URL ([API Credentials](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/rhki-api-credentials), [Authentication](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/ficf-authentication))
:::

:::BlockQuote{listStyleType="decimal" listStart="2" indent="1"}
Create a shipment for your mode ([Create Shipment](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/bxk7-create-shipment))
:::

:::BlockQuote{listStyleType="decimal" listStart="3" indent="1"}
Pull shipment status as needed ([Get Shipment Details](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/wffv-get-shipment-details)), or subscribe to [Webhooks](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/cnu-webhooks) for real-time updates instead of polling
:::

:::BlockQuote{listStyleType="decimal" listStart="4" indent="1"}
Share live tracking with your own customers via an [E-URL](https://docs.fourkites.com/api-reference/rljg-shipment-e-url)
:::

For anything beyond core tracking — orders, inventory, appointments, analytics — see the relevant section above.

## Getting help

For account-specific questions (enabling a licensed feature, requesting a rate limit increase, or getting IP ranges for webhooks), reach out to your Customer Success Manager or Implementation Manager. For everything else, submit a request through the [Customer Support Portal](https://fourkites.my.site.com/hc/s/).