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Use the Cutshort Public API to connect Cutshort with your ATS or custom hiring tools. You can search the talent database, unlock candidates, post jobs, and run outreach from your own product or workflow. If we already have a built-in connector for your ATS, use that instead — see Ashby, Breezy HR, Lever, Workable, Zoho Recruit, and Greenhouse.

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What you can use this for

  • Connect Cutshort to an ATS that does not have a built-in integration
  • Pipe search results into an internal hiring tool, spreadsheet, or automation
  • Search, unlock, post jobs, and message candidates from a custom workflow
Start with Search talent database. The rest of the API (candidate detail, jobs, outreach, applications) is in the developer docs. If you build an ATS, recruiting agent, or similar hiring product, get a partner license. Email partnerships@cutshort.io.

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1. Generate an API key

  1. Open Settings → Integrations (cutshort.io/profile/hiring-settings/integrations).
  2. Under API Key and MCP Server, choose Eval access (read-only with low limits) or Production access (full access).
  3. Click Generate API Key.
Eval keys are available to approved employers after you verify a work email. They can search and get candidate details within small quotas. Production keys add job posting and candidate messaging, with higher limits. Production access is available on paid plans. Email hello@cutshort.io to request it. Treat the key like a password. You can Reveal or Delete it later from the same page.

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2. Search the talent database

Send requests to https://cutshort.io/api/v1 with:
GET /search/candidates is the main search endpoint. You can pass a role description, resume boolean (inresume), location, experience, salary, and the same profile filters you use on the website (education, startup background, industry, and so on). Search hits include headline, experience, and a redacted resume excerpt — not name, email, or phone. Call get-candidate-details when you want contact info (that unlocks the person and uses one credit). Parameter reference and examples: Search talent database.

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3. Prefer an AI agent instead?

If you want Claude, Cursor, or another MCP client to call these same endpoints for you, see How do I connect Cutshort with Claude, Cursor or other AI agents?.

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If something goes wrong

  • Generate API Key is disabled — verify a work email and wait until the employer account is approved.
  • Production access is not enabled — email hello@cutshort.io. Available on paid plans only.
  • 401 / invalid API key — Reveal the key on Settings → Integrations, or Delete it and generate a new one.
  • 403 / insufficient scope — eval keys cannot post jobs or send messages. Request a production key.
  • Building an ATS or recruiting agent — email partnerships@cutshort.io for a partner license rather than using a regular workspace key.
Something else? Chat with us on cutshort.io, or email engineering@cutshort.io from the email on your Cutshort account.