This article will cover the following:
What Is the CAKE API?
The CAKE API is a way for external software — your own internal tools, reporting dashboards, or third-party platforms — to talk directly to your CAKE account. Instead of logging in and clicking around manually, an authorized system can request data or trigger actions automatically.
You might need API access to pull performance reports into a custom dashboard, sync offer data with another platform, automate affiliate management tasks, or build custom integrations that go beyond CAKE's built-in features.
API access is available to account administrators. Affiliates and advertisers do not have API access by default — this is an admin-level feature. If you're not building integrations yourself, you may not need to interact with the API at all.
How to Generate an API Key
Your API key is a unique code that proves to CAKE that a request is authorized to come from your account.
Generating a new API key immediately invalidates your old one. Any integrations using the old key will break until they are updated. Only regenerate if your current key has been compromised or you have no active integrations.
Keeping Your API Key Secure
- Never share your API key publicly. Don't paste it into emails, Slack messages, or public code repositories like GitHub.
- Store it securely. Use a secrets manager, environment variable, or password manager — not a plain text file.
- Limit who has access. Only share the key with developers or systems that genuinely need it.
- Rotate the key periodically. If you suspect it may have been exposed, generate a new one immediately and update all integrations.
- Monitor the API log. Check regularly for any requests you don't recognize.
Have your developer store the key as an environment variable rather than writing it directly into application code. This makes rotation easier and much harder to accidentally expose.
The API Log
CAKE keeps a record of every request made to your account through the API. To access it: Admin > System Settings > API > API Log section.
| Column | What It Tells You |
|---|---|
| Date / Time | When the request was made |
| Method | Which API action or data was requested |
| Status | Whether the request succeeded or returned an error |
| IP Address | Where the request originated |
If an integration stops working, the API log is the first place to check. A pattern of failed requests often points to an expired key, a permissions issue, or a rate limit being hit.
System Status
The System Status section gives you a quick overview of how your CAKE instance is performing — useful for checking whether any services are running slowly before troubleshooting elsewhere. Go to Admin > System Settings > Status.
If system status is green but something isn't working in your account, the problem is likely specific to your setup rather than platform-wide. Check your tracking links, postback URLs, and offer settings, or contact CAKE support.
Rate Limits and Best Practices
CAKE limits how many API requests an account can make in a given time window. If you make too many requests too quickly, requests will start failing until the window resets.
- Request only what you need. If you need data every hour, don't pull it every minute.
- Cache responses where possible. Store the response locally instead of re-requesting the same data repeatedly.
- Handle errors gracefully. Build your integration to retry failed requests after a short delay.
- Use date filters. When pulling reports or logs, always filter by date range — avoid requesting all historical data in one call.
- Test in a staging environment first. Catch unexpected request volumes or logic errors before rolling out to production.
- Monitor the API log regularly. Confirm your integrations are calling the right endpoints and succeeding at expected rates.
If you have any questions, please reach out to your dedicated CAKE Client Success Manager/Account Manager or contact the CAKE Support Team at support@getCAKE.com.