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BadgeKit API

Welcome to the BadgeKit API repo! Issuers can use the BadgeKit tools to aid the process of creating, managing and awarding Open Badges. You can use the BadgeKit API on its own or can combine it with the BadgeKit Web app.

The BadgeKit Web app provides an administrative interface for badge issuers to create, design, define and publish Open Badges. The app also facilitates processing applications for badges, so that issuers can manage the full lifecycle of a badge, from creating it to awarding it.

The BadgeKit API handles the data for published badges and provides a series of webhooks you can use to build custom interfaces for your community of badge earners (or to implement badging within your existing site or application).

Your earner-facing site can plug into the BadgeKit API to retrieve badge information and receive callbacks when certain badging events occur, such as a badge being issued. This allows you to configure all aspects of interaction and communication with your badge earners, while BadgeKit manages the back-end.

Installation

For a detailed overview of installing the BadgeKit API in conjunction with the BadgeKit app, see the Self-Hosting Guide.

To install and run the BadgeKit API on its own:

• Clone the code in this repo to your own server.
• Create a database.
• Use schema.sql in the BadgeKit API root directory to create the database tables.
• Insert an issuer system entry in your database, e.g. INSERT INTO systems (slug, name) VALUES ('badgekit', 'Your System');
• Set the configuration details, e.g.

DB_HOST=localhost
DB_NAME=badgekitapi
DB_PASSWORD=yourpassword
DB_USER=root
MASTER_SECRET=yoursecret
PORT=8080

The database details should match the one you just created. The master secret is used authenticate communication with your badge admin front-end, which may be the BadgeKit app. If you are using the BadgeKit app, you will need to set the same secret value in the configs for it.

Resources

See also the following resources:

• API Introduction
• BadgeKit Introduction
• BadgeKit Help and FAQs
• Glossary

We will be adding detailed guides to using the API endpoints soon - check back for updates!

You can see an overview of the API endpoints in the repo now: https://github.com/mozilla/badgekit-api/blob/master/docs/api-endpoints.md

If you need additional support working with BadgeKit or Open Badges, use any of the following channels:

• Post general questions in our Community Google Groups and post specific technical questions in our Dev Google Group.
• Reach members of the Open Badges team directly on IRC in the #badges room.
• Email questions directly to badges@mozillafoundation.org and a member of the team will follow-up.
• Follow or tweet the Open Badges team @OpenBadges.