API Reference

While accessing Clerk functionality via SDK is the easiest path, Clerk offers two different HTTP APIs for you to interact with directly.

The Clerk Frontend API⁠ is meant to be accessed from a browser or native clients. This is what the Clerk SDK's utilize. Use this API if you are building client-side functionality.

The Clerk Backend API⁠ is meant to be accessed by backend servers. Use this API if you need to update data inside of Clerk's systems outside the concept of a session, like coordinating data sync operations with third-parties or fetching and updating configuration settings.

For more information about how Clerk works, see the dedicated guide.