> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.thanks.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Start sending awesome mailers in under 5 minutes

Use this quickstart if you want to send mailers directly from your application. If you want your users to manage campaigns and automation inside thanks.io, start with the [campaign workflow](/workflows/campaign) instead.

## Before You Start

You will need:

* A [thanks.io account](https://thanks.io)
* An API key from [API Settings](https://dashboard.thanks.io/profile/api)
* API Testing Mode enabled while you validate your integration

## Choose the Right Path

There are two common ways to integrate with thanks.io:

* Automation workflow: add recipients to a mailing list and let thanks.io handle campaign logic. This is usually the best fit for recurring sends and user-managed campaigns.
* Direct API sends: create orders from your application and send mail immediately. This quickstart covers that path.

Once you know you want direct sends, follow the steps below to submit your first order.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create Account">
    Create an account at [thanks.io](https://thanks.io) if you have not already.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create An API Key">
    Visit [API Settings](https://dashboard.thanks.io/profile/api) and create a personal access token for your integration.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable Testing Mode">
    Turn on API/Zapier Test Mode to avoid sending real mail while testing. In testing mode, API orders are automatically canceled instead of mailed. See [API Testing Mode](/api-reference/api-mode) for details.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Submit Your First Order">
    This example sends a postcard directly through the API using an inline recipient, message, and front image URL.

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -X POST "https://api.thanks.io/api/v2/send/postcard" \
      -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
      -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
      -d '{
        "recipients": [{ 
          "name": "John Doe", 
          "address": "123 Main Street, Any Town, NY 12345"
        }],
        "message": "Hi %FIRST_NAME% - Thank you for your business!",
        "front_image_url": "https://d2md0c8rpvzmz5.cloudfront.net/inspiration_templates/default10.png"
      }'
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Check Your Order Status">
    Check the result in the [Order History page](https://dashboard.thanks.io/orders_history). While testing mode is enabled, your order should appear and then be canceled automatically.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Next Steps

* If you want to send mailpiece types other than postcards, review [Direct Send Orders](/api-reference/send-mailer-usage).
* If you need authentication guidance, see [Bearer Token](/authentication/bearer-token) and [OAuth](/authentication/oauth).
* If you decide your users should manage campaigns in thanks.io, switch to the [campaign workflow](/workflows/campaign).