---
title: "Initialize Settings Flow for Native Apps and API clients"
method: GET
path: "/self-service/settings/api"
tags: ["public"]
---

# Initialize Settings Flow for Native Apps and API clients

`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>`.

:::warning

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`

settingsFlow

- SettingsFlow — 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.
    - `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
    - `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` string, required
  - `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` union
            - string
            - number
            - boolean
        - 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

- **2021-05-18** `9123bcead5ed` — 1 breaking, 12 info
  - the `identity/traits` response's property type/format changed from `object`/`` to ``/`` for status `200`
  - api operation id `initializeSelfServiceSettingsViaAPIFlow` removed and replaced with `initializeSelfServiceSettingsForNativeApps`
  - added the new optional `header` request parameter `X-Session-Token`
  - added the optional property `identity/created_at` to the response with the `200` status
  - …9 more
- **2021-05-11** `0b5d5b421f15` — 1 warning
  - removed the optional property `identity/test` from the response with the `200` status
- **2021-05-10** `8b8f8cf57b16` — 1 info
  - added the optional property `identity/test` to the response with the `200` status
- **2021-05-05** `381c760af46e` — 19 breaking, 24 warning, 60 info
  - the response property `error` became optional for the status `400`
  - the response property `error/message` became optional for the status `400`
  - the response property `type` became optional for the status `200`
  - added `subschema #1, subschema #2, subschema #3` to the `ui/nodes/items/attributes/oneOf[#/components/schemas/uiNodeInputAttributes]/value` response property `oneOf` list for the response status `200`
  - …99 more

[Change 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/9123bcead5ed/schema)