---
title: "Initialize Settings Flow for APIs, Services, Apps, ..."
method: GET
path: "/self-service/settings/api"
tags: ["v0alpha1"]
---

# Initialize Settings Flow for APIs, Services, Apps, ...

`GET /self-service/settings/api`

This endpoint initiates a settings flow for API clients such as mobile devices, smart TVs, and so on.
You must provide a valid Ory Kratos Session Token for this endpoint to respond with HTTP 200 OK.

To fetch an existing settings flow call `/self-service/settings/flows?flow=<flow_id>`.

You MUST NOT use this endpoint in client-side (Single Page Apps, ReactJS, AngularJS) nor server-side (Java Server
Pages, NodeJS, PHP, Golang, ...) browser applications. Using this endpoint in these applications will make
you vulnerable to a variety of CSRF attacks.

This endpoint MUST ONLY be used in scenarios such as native mobile apps (React Native, Objective C, Swift, Java, ...).

More information can be found at [Ory Kratos User Settings & Profile Management Documentation](../self-service/flows/user-settings).

## Headers

- `X-Session-Token` string

## Response `200`

selfServiceSettingsFlow

- SelfServiceSettingsFlow — This flow is used when an identity wants to update settings (e.g. profile data, passwords, ...) in a selfservice manner. We recommend reading the [User Settings Documentation](../self-service/flows/user-settings)
  - `active` string — Active, if set, contains the registration method that is being used. It is initially not set.
  - `expires_at` string, date-time, required — ExpiresAt is the time (UTC) when the flow expires. If the user still wishes to update the setting, a new flow has to be initiated.
  - `id` string, uuid4, required
  - `identity` Identity, required — An identity can be a real human, a service, an IoT device - everything that can be described as an "actor" in a system.
    - `created_at` string, date-time — CreatedAt is a helper struct field for gobuffalo.pop.
    - `credentials` object — Credentials represents all credentials that can be used for authenticating this identity.
    - `id` string, uuid4, required
    - `recovery_addresses` RecoveryAddress[] — RecoveryAddresses contains all the addresses that can be used to recover an identity.
      - `created_at` string, date-time — CreatedAt is a helper struct field for gobuffalo.pop.
      - `id` string, uuid4, required
      - `updated_at` string, date-time — UpdatedAt is a helper struct field for gobuffalo.pop.
      - `value` string, required
      - `via` string, required
    - `schema_id` string, required — SchemaID is the ID of the JSON Schema to be used for validating the identity's traits.
    - `schema_url` string, required — SchemaURL is the URL of the endpoint where the identity's traits schema can be fetched from. format: url
    - `state` 'active' | 'inactive' — The state can either be `active` or `inactive`.
    - `state_changed_at` string, date-time
    - `traits` unknown, required
    - `updated_at` string, date-time — UpdatedAt is a helper struct field for gobuffalo.pop.
    - `verifiable_addresses` VerifiableIdentityAddress[] — VerifiableAddresses contains all the addresses that can be verified by the user.
      - `created_at` string, date-time — When this entry was created
      - `id` string, uuid4, required
      - `status` string, required — VerifiableAddressStatus must not exceed 16 characters as that is the limitation in the SQL Schema
      - `updated_at` string, date-time — When this entry was last updated
      - `value` string, required — The address value example foo@user.com
      - `verified` boolean, required — Indicates if the address has already been verified
      - `verified_at` string, date-time
      - `via` string, required — VerifiableAddressType must not exceed 16 characters as that is the limitation in the SQL Schema
  - `issued_at` string, date-time, required — IssuedAt is the time (UTC) when the flow occurred.
  - `request_url` string, required — RequestURL is the initial URL that was requested from Ory Kratos. It can be used to forward information contained in the URL's path or query for example.
  - `state` 'show_form' | 'success', required — show_form: No user data has been collected, or it is invalid, and thus the form should be shown. success: Indicates that the settings flow has been updated successfully with the provided data. Done will stay true when repeatedly checking. If set to true, done will revert back to false only when a flow with invalid (e.g. "please use a valid phone number") data was sent.
  - `type` string — The flow type can either be `api` or `browser`.
  - `ui` UiContainer, required — Container represents a HTML Form. The container can work with both HTTP Form and JSON requests
    - `action` string, required — Action should be used as the form action URL `<form action="{{ .Action }}" method="post">`.
    - `messages` UiText[]
      - `context` object — The message's context. Useful when customizing messages.
      - `id` integer, required
      - `text` string, required — The message text. Written in american english.
      - `type` string, required
    - `method` string, required — Method is the form method (e.g. POST)
    - `nodes` UiNode[], required
      - `attributes` union, required
        - UiNodeInputAttributes — InputAttributes represents the attributes of an input node
          - `disabled` boolean, required — Sets the input's disabled field to true or false.
          - `label` UiText
            - `context` object — The message's context. Useful when customizing messages.
            - `id` integer, required
            - `text` string, required — The message text. Written in american english.
            - `type` string, required
          - `name` string, required — The input's element name.
          - `pattern` string — The input's pattern.
          - `required` boolean — Mark this input field as required.
          - `type` string, required
          - `value` unknown
        - UiNodeTextAttributes
          - `text` UiText, required
            - `context` object — The message's context. Useful when customizing messages.
            - `id` integer, required
            - `text` string, required — The message text. Written in american english.
            - `type` string, required
        - UiNodeImageAttributes
          - `src` string, required — The image's source URL. format: uri
        - UiNodeAnchorAttributes
          - `href` string, required — The link's href (destination) URL. format: uri
          - `title` UiText, required
            - `context` object — The message's context. Useful when customizing messages.
            - `id` integer, required
            - `text` string, required — The message text. Written in american english.
            - `type` string, required
      - `group` string, required
      - `messages` UiText[], required
        - `context` object — The message's context. Useful when customizing messages.
        - `id` integer, required
        - `text` string, required — The message text. Written in american english.
        - `type` string, required
      - `meta` Meta, required — This might include a label and other information that can optionally be used to render UIs.
        - `label` UiText
          - `context` object — The message's context. Useful when customizing messages.
          - `id` integer, required
          - `text` string, required — The message text. Written in american english.
          - `type` string, required
      - `type` string, required

## Other responses

- `400` — jsonError
- `500` — jsonError

## Changes

- **2021-07-22** `071bec03ddcd` — 2 breaking, 2 warning
  - the response property `identity/state` became optional for the status `200`
  - the `identity/state` response's property type/format changed from ``/`` to `string`/`` for status `200`
  - added the new `active` enum value to the `identity/state` response property for the response status `200`
  - added the new `inactive` enum value to the `identity/state` response property for the response status `200`
- **2021-07-13** `8f1b399ab6e6` — 1 breaking, 2 warning, 8 info
  - the response property `ui/nodes/items/attributes/oneOf[#/components/schemas/uiNodeInputAttributes]/value` became nullable for the status `200`
  - added the new `show_form` enum value to the `state` response property for the response status `200`
  - added the new `success` enum value to the `state` response property for the response status `200`
  - api operation id `initializeSelfServiceSettingsForNativeApps` removed and replaced with `initializeSelfServiceSettingsFlowWithoutBrowser`
  - …7 more
- …earlier changes not shown

[Full history](https://skmtc.dev/ory/apis/ory-identities-api/changes/self-service/settings/api/get.md)

---

[API](https://skmtc.dev/ory/apis/ory-identities-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.dev/ory/apis/ory-identities-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-production.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/ory/ory-identities-api/revisions/071bec03ddcd/schema)