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Quickstart Guide

Create your first cryptographic receipt in 5 minutes

Prerequisites

1

Get Your API Key

Log in to your CertNode dashboard and navigate to API Keys. Create a new API key and copy it somewhere safe.

Security: API keys are sensitive. Never commit them to version control or expose them in client-side code. Use environment variables.

# .env (example)
CERTNODE_API_KEY=cn_live_abc123xyz789...
2

Create Your First Receipt

Send a POST request to /api/v1/receipts with your receipt data:

cURL

curl -X POST https://certnode.io/api/v1/receipts \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "type": "transaction",
    "data": {
      "amount": 299.99,
      "currency": "USD",
      "product": "Annual Subscription",
      "customer_email_hash": "a3f2b1c4d5e6..."
    },
    "metadata": {
      "platform": "stripe",
      "environment": "production"
    }
  }'

Node.js / TypeScript

const response = await fetch('https://certnode.io/api/v1/receipts', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'X-API-Key': process.env.CERTNODE_API_KEY,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    type: 'transaction',
    data: {
      amount: 299.99,
      currency: 'USD',
      product: 'Annual Subscription',
      customer_email_hash: 'a3f2b1c4d5e6...'
    },
    metadata: {
      platform: 'stripe',
      environment: 'production'
    }
  })
})

const receipt = await response.json()
console.log('Receipt created:', receipt.id)

Python

import requests
import os

response = requests.post(
    'https://certnode.io/api/v1/receipts',
    headers={
        'X-API-Key': os.getenv('CERTNODE_API_KEY'),
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    json={
        'type': 'transaction',
        'data': {
            'amount': 299.99,
            'currency': 'USD',
            'product': 'Annual Subscription',
            'customer_email_hash': 'a3f2b1c4d5e6...'
        },
        'metadata': {
            'platform': 'stripe',
            'environment': 'production'
        }
    }
)

receipt = response.json()
print(f"Receipt created: {receipt['id']}")

Response

{
  "id": "rcpt_abc123xyz789",
  "type": "transaction",
  "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "data": {
    "amount": 299.99,
    "currency": "USD",
    "product": "Annual Subscription",
    "customer_email_hash": "a3f2b1c4d5e6..."
  },
  "metadata": {
    "platform": "stripe",
    "environment": "production"
  },
  "signature": "eyJhbGciOiJFUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9...",
  "timestamp_token": "MIIGfQYJKoZIhvcNAQcCoIIGbjCCBmoCAQE...",
  "verified": true,
  "verification_url": "https://certnode.io/verify/rcpt_abc123xyz789"
}

Success! Your receipt is now cryptographically signed with an RFC 3161 timestamp. It cannot be tampered with and is independently verifiable.

3

Verify the Receipt

Anyone can independently verify your receipt using the verification endpoint:

cURL

curl https://certnode.io/api/v1/verify/rcpt_abc123xyz789

Response

{
  "id": "rcpt_abc123xyz789",
  "verified": true,
  "verification_details": {
    "signature_valid": true,
    "timestamp_valid": true,
    "chain_valid": true
  },
  "created_at": "2025-01-15T10:30:00Z"
}

You can also view the receipt in a browser at:

https://certnode.io/verify/rcpt_abc123xyz789
4

Link Receipts Together

Create receipt chains by referencing parent receipts. This is useful for tracking multi-step processes (e.g., order → fulfillment → delivery):

// Create child receipt that references parent
curl -X POST https://certnode.io/api/v1/receipts \
  -H "X-API-Key: YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "type": "operations",
    "data": {
      "event": "order_fulfilled",
      "tracking_number": "1Z999AA10123456784",
      "shipped_date": "2025-01-16"
    },
    "parent_id": "rcpt_abc123xyz789",
    "metadata": {
      "platform": "shipstation"
    }
  }'

Tip: Receipt chains create an append-only, tamper-evident audit trail. Each child receipt proves the parent existed first (verified via timestamp).

Privacy Best Practices

Never Include Raw PII

Don't store raw emails, credit card numbers, or SSNs in receipts. Use hashes instead:

import crypto from 'crypto'

// ❌ DON'T: Raw email
const badReceipt = {
  data: {
    customer_email: "john@example.com"
  }
}

// ✅ DO: Hashed email
const goodReceipt = {
  data: {
    customer_email_hash: crypto
      .createHash('sha256')
      .update("john@example.com")
      .digest('hex')
    // Result: a3f2b1c4d5e6...
  }
}

For more details, see our Privacy Guide.

Receipt Types

Transaction

Payments, refunds, chargebacks

Use for: Stripe, Shopify, PayPal transactions

Content

Media uploads, downloads, access

Use for: AI-generated content, downloads, streaming access

Operations

API calls, system events, compliance logs

Use for: Audit logs, webhook deliveries, system events

Next Steps

API Reference

Complete REST API documentation with all endpoints and examples

Integration Guides

Step-by-step guides for Stripe, Shopify, and custom integrations

Receipt Explorer

Visualize and explore receipt graphs with our interactive explorer

How It Works

Learn about the cryptographic process behind CertNode receipts

Need Help?

Stuck on something? We're here to help:

Email Support
support@certnode.io
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