> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mention-me.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Your first Merchant API request

> Make your first request to the Merchant API.

This section will guide you through the process of constructing a request and handling the API response.

<Steps>
  <Step title="Obtain an access token">
    You’ll need an access token to make requests. [Head back to our authentication section if you’ve not done this yet.](/api-reference/authentication/overview)
  </Step>

  <Step title="Make a request">
    For each request, pass the access token in the `Authorization` header. The token you’ll have will be a `Bearer` token, so prefix it with `Bearer <token>` (note the space).

    Here’s an example in curl:

    ```bash theme={null}
    curl -XPOST https://mention-me.com/api/merchant/v2/customers \
        -H ‘Content-Type: application/json’ \
        -H ‘Authorization: Bearer <your-authentication-token>’ \
        --data ‘{}’
    ```

    Replace the URL with your chosen API endpoint, and the token with the one you obtained previously.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Handle the response">
    Ensure that your application is prepared to handle different HTTP status codes and response payloads.

    Each API will declare the error responses it has, and you can learn more about errors under [errors](/api-reference/getting-started/errors).
  </Step>
</Steps>

Now that you’ve successfully made your first API request, continue exploring the API documentation. If you encounter any challenges or have questions, refer to the [Errors Guide](/api-reference/getting-started/errors) or reach out to our [support team](https://help.mention-me.com/hc/en-gb/requests/new) for assistance.

<CardGroup cols={1}>
  <Card title="Get customers" icon="rectangle-terminal" href="/api-reference/merchant-api/overview">
    Ready to call our API? Visit our API reference to learn about endpoints available.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>