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

# Choosing an app type

> Whether to build an App Key app or an OAuth client app.

When you register an app you pick a type that matches the APIs you plan to use. There is one question that decides it: **does this need a user to sign in?**

|              | App Key app                     | OAuth client app                                                               |
| ------------ | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| What is it   | An app that reads public data   | An app where users sign in with their Rocketpunch account and grant permission |
| User login   | Not required                    | Required                                                                       |
| What you get | App Key                         | App Key, secret key, and a registered redirect URI                             |
| Typical APIs | Reading jobs, events, and posts | Creating, updating, and deleting on a user's behalf                            |

## App Key app

You only read public data. A job search service, an event aggregator, an analytics dashboard — anything that never acts on behalf of a specific user.

Send your App Key in the `X-RP-API-Key` header and you are done. No user sign-in, no consent screen.

## OAuth client app

To act on a user's behalf you need that user's consent. Once they sign in with their Rocketpunch account and grant permission, you receive a token that lets you call the API as that user.

You also register a **redirect URI** — the address users return to after granting consent.

<Warning>
  Each app has **one** redirect URI and it must match **character for character**. A single trailing slash or an extra query string is enough to get the authorization rejected.
</Warning>

## Not sure which one?

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I want to search job postings and show them in my service">
    **App Key app.** Reading public data does not require a user to sign in.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I want posts written in my service to also appear on Rocketpunch">
    **OAuth client app.** The post is authored as a specific user, so you need that user's consent.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I want to use a user's Rocketpunch profile for sign-up in my service">
    **OAuth client app.** The `profile` scope gives you their name and profile information; the `email` scope gives you their email address.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="What if I need both?">
    Register an OAuth client app. It also receives an App Key, so you can keep calling public-data endpoints with the App Key exactly as before.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="App Key authentication" icon="key" href="/en/openapi/auth-app-key">
    Send your key in a header and manage it safely.
  </Card>

  <Card title="OAuth 2.0 overview" icon="user-lock" href="/en/openapi/auth-oauth-overview">
    The authorization model, token lifetimes, and available scopes.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>