The Plaid API uses POST requests to communicate and HTTP response codes to indicate status and errors. All responses come in standard JSON. The Plaid API is served over HTTPS TLS v1.2+ to ensure data privacy; HTTP and HTTPS with TLS versions below 1.2 are not supported. All requests must include a Content-Type of application/json and the body must be valid JSON.
Almost all Plaid API endpoints require a client_id and secret. These may be sent either in the request body or in the headers PLAID-CLIENT-ID and PLAID-SECRET.
Every Plaid API response includes a request_id as the 'X-Request-Id' header. The request_id is included whether the API request succeeded or failed. For faster support, include the request_id when contacting support regarding a specific API call.
The Plaid API host has three environments: Sandbox, Development, and Production. Items, once created, cannot be moved to another environment. The Sandbox environment supports only test Items. The Development environment supports up to 100 live Items using real data. All testing should be done in the Sandbox and Development environments. All activity in the Production environment will be billed.
