# Quickstart

> From a fresh token to approving a card and getting a reply from your agent, using nothing but curl.

Canonical: https://revnu.com/docs/quickstart
Last updated: 2026-10-19

Five steps, each one curl command. By the end you will have approved a card and had a conversation with Revnu from a terminal.

No account yet? `npx @revnu/cli setup` creates one and sets it up from your terminal. See [Install the CLI](https://revnu.com/docs/cli.md).

## 1. Mint a token

In the dashboard, open **Settings → Developers**, give it a label and only the scopes the tool needs. The token is shown once. We store a hash. Export it for the rest of this page:

```bash
export REVNU_API_TOKEN=rvp_…
```

> **Tip:** For this walkthrough tick `review:read`, `review:write` and `agent:message`. For anything that only reads, use read scopes alone: a leaked `review:read`, `results:read` or `leads:read` token cannot cause a send, a publish or a spend. See [Authentication and Scopes](https://revnu.com/docs/authentication.md#pick-the-smallest-set).

## 2. Check who you are

`GET /me` needs no scope, so it is the call to verify any token with.

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $REVNU_API_TOKEN" https://revnu.com/api/v1/me
```

```json
{
  "me": {
    "label": "quickstart",
    "scopes": ["review:read", "review:write", "agent:message"],
    "account": { "id": "…", "name": "Acme" },
    "inSetup": false,
    "limits": { "reads": { "perMinute": 300, "burst": 600 }, "…": "…" }
  }
}
```

## 3. Read what is waiting

```bash
curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $REVNU_API_TOKEN" "https://revnu.com/api/v1/review?limit=10"
```

Every card carries `actions`, the exact verbs the API accepts for it, and `primaryLabel`, what the dashboard's main button says. Drive your UI from those, never from the card type.

## 4. Approve it

```bash
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $REVNU_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" -d '{"action":"approve"}' \
  https://revnu.com/api/v1/review/k97…/answer
```

> **Warning:** This is a real approval. A blog draft publishes, a Reddit comment posts, an ad launch turns campaigns on. Email cards go through [`/send`](https://revnu.com/docs/review-send.md) instead, because sending email holds a delivery lease. The full list is in [Answer a card](https://revnu.com/docs/review-answer.md#what-approve-does).

## 5. Ask the agent something

```bash
curl -X POST -H "Authorization: Bearer $REVNU_API_TOKEN" \
  -H "content-type: application/json" \
  -d '{"text":"What did we ship this week?","waitSeconds":90}' \
  https://revnu.com/api/v1/agent/messages
```

With `waitSeconds` the request stays open until Revnu replies, and the response is `200` with the reply inline. Without it you get `202` and a `requestId` to poll. A new message stops work Revnu is still doing for this token, so wait for the reply before sending the next one, or see [Talk to Your Agent](https://revnu.com/docs/talk-to-your-agent.md) for handing over several jobs.

## Next

- Skip the curl: `npm install -g @revnu/cli && revnu login`. See [Install the CLI](https://revnu.com/docs/cli.md).
- Use Revnu from Claude, ChatGPT or Cursor: [MCP Server Setup](https://revnu.com/docs/mcp.md).
- Put the queue on a screen: [Build a Review Screen](https://revnu.com/docs/build-a-review-screen.md).

## Frequently asked questions

### Do I need an SDK?

No. The API is plain JSON over HTTPS with a bearer header, so any HTTP client works. The `@revnu/cli` package is a convenience for the terminal and for MCP hosts, not a requirement.

### Why did my approve return 409?

The card does not accept that verb right now. The response lists the verbs it does accept in `actions`. Most often the card was already resolved, or it is an email card that needs `/send`.