Developer Documentation
Everything you need to integrate Work References into your application or AI agent.
Quick Start
Verify any Work References reference with a single GET request — no authentication required:
curl https://www.workreferences.org/api/verify/REFERENCE_UUID
Returns gold, silver, or invalid status along with full reference details.
Authentication
Public Endpoints (No Auth)
Verification, tenant lookup, and DNS check are public. Rate limited per IP.
Per-Tenant API Keys
API keys are issued per tenant. Format: rp_ + 40 hex characters.
x-api-key: rp_a1b2c3d4e5f6... # or Authorization: Bearer rp_a1b2c3d4e5f6...
Global Partner Key
For platform-level integrations. Sent via x-partner-key header.
Endpoints
| Method | Path | Auth | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| GET | /api/verify/{id} | None | Verify a reference |
| POST | /api/verify/{id} | None | Verify + PDF hash check |
| POST | /api/tenants/lookup | None | Look up tenant by domain |
| GET | /api/dns/check | None | Check DNS TXT record |
| POST | /api/partners/references | API Key | Create a signed reference |
| GET | /api/health | None | Health check |
See the full API Reference for request/response schemas and code examples.
Rate Limits
| Endpoint | Limit | Window |
|---|---|---|
| Verification | 60 | 1 minute |
| DNS check | 60 | 1 minute |
| Reference creation | 100 | 1 minute |
| API key creation | 10 | 1 hour |
Rate limit headers (X-RateLimit-Remaining, X-RateLimit-Reset) are included in responses.
Machine-Readable Resources
- /openapi.json — OpenAPI 3.1.0 specification
- /llms.txt — Concise AI-readable overview
- /llms-full.txt — Full documentation for AI agents
- /.well-known/ai-plugin.json — GPT Actions manifest