> ## 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 **Settings → [API Access](https://dashboard.thanks.io/app/settings/api-access)** in your dashboard
* 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">
    In your dashboard, open **Settings → [API Access](https://dashboard.thanks.io/app/settings/api-access)** and click **Create API Key** in the **API Keys** section.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Enable Testing Mode">
    On the same page, turn on **Test Mode** in the **API Settings** section 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://cdn.thanks.io/inspiration_templates/default10.png"
      }'
    ```

    <Note>
      For a production integration, we recommend sending a creative instead: design and save it once in your dashboard, then send it with a single `creative_id` in place of the image and message parameters. See [Send a Creative](/api-reference/send-mailer-usage#send-a-creative).
    </Note>
  </Step>

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

## Next Steps

* Design a creative in your dashboard and send it by ID — the recommended path for production sends. See [Send a Creative](/api-reference/send-mailer-usage#send-a-creative) and [List Creatives](/api-reference/endpoint/creatives-library/list-all-creatives).
* 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).


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