Quickstart

Get started with the RelayAPI unified social media API in minutes.

Overview

RelayAPI is a unified API that lets you publish to 22 social, messaging, SMS, and newsletter channels with a single API call. Connect your accounts, create posts, and publish everywhere through one consistent interface.

Authentication

Hosted signup is currently invite-only. Existing hosted users can sign in; everyone else can request early access or follow the self-hosting guide. After you have an instance, create an API key from its dashboard.

Getting Your API Key

1. Log in to your hosted or self-hosted RelayAPI dashboard
2. Go to Settings > API Keys
3. Click Create API Key
4. Copy the key immediately — you won't be able to see it again

Key Format

API keys are prefixed with rlay_live_ for production or rlay_test_ for testing. Keys are stored as SHA-256 hashes and are only shown once at creation.

Choose a client

The TypeScript SDK is the canonical current client. Go and Java clients are generated and released separately. RelayAPI does not currently publish a Python package; the Python examples below use the REST API directly.

npm install @relayapi/sdk

Set Up the Client

import Relay from '@relayapi/sdk';

const client = new Relay(); // reads RELAY_API_KEY from environment

Connect a Social Account

Before posting, connect at least one social media account through the dashboard or via the API.

const flow = await client.connect.startOAuthFlow('twitter');
// Redirect user to flow.auth_url to authorize

Available Platforms

See Platforms Overview for the full list of supported platforms and their capabilities.

Create and Publish a Post

const post = await client.posts.create({
  content: 'Hello from RelayAPI!',
  targets: ['twitter', 'linkedin'],
  scheduled_at: 'now',
});

console.log(post.id);     // "post_abc123"
console.log(post.status); // "published"

Posting to Multiple Platforms

Target multiple accounts in a single API call. RelayAPI handles platform-specific formatting automatically.

Scheduling Posts

Schedule posts for future publishing by adding scheduled_at and timezone:

const post = await client.posts.create({
  content: 'Scheduled post!',
  targets: ['twitter'],
  scheduled_at: '2024-01-16T12:00:00',
  timezone: 'America/New_York',
});

Supported Platforms

The Analytics column means a live native account adapter. Stored cross-platform post metrics may still be available when RelayAPI has collected a snapshot. Provider account type, review, scopes, and media policy can narrow any capability; consult the relevant platform guide before depending on it.

What's Next?

• Platforms Overview — Learn about platform-specific features
• API Reference — Full endpoint documentation
• Guides — Step-by-step guides