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API Playground, MCP Server Guide & OpenAPI 1.8.0

This release introduces an interactive API Playground with Try It support, enabling live Stage requests directly from the documentation using Developer Console authentication or a Stage API key. It also adds new MCP Server guides covering Overview, Installation, Quick Start, and Digital Banking APIs, including Stage and Sandbox connectivity, OAuth setup, and supported Core Banking and User API MCP tools. The Candescent DI API reference has also been updated for Retrieve Institution User (V2).

You can view the OpenAPI specification in the public GitHub repository candescent-dev/openapi.

What's New​

API Playground​

  • API Playground — Interactive Try It control on API Reference endpoint pages enables live request execution and response viewing directly within the documentation.
  • Stage only — Playground requests are restricted to the Stage environment. Authorize with a Developer Console login to connect Stage apps, or supply an existing Stage authentication key without logging in.

MCP Server Guide​

  • MCP Server — New guide section documents how to connect AI assistants to the Candescent MCP Server through the Model Context Protocol.
  • Overview — Describes the gateway architecture, beta limitations (Stage and Sandbox), MCP Inspector validation, and OAuth Connect support.
  • Installation — Documents Sandbox and Stage endpoint URLs (/mcp), Developer Console credential prerequisites, Create Token API exchange, Cursor mcp.json configuration, troubleshooting, and known issues.
  • Quick Start — Walks through token exchange, MCP client registration, connectivity checks, tool discovery, and first read-only invocations (for example list accounts, transactions, customer profile).
  • Digital Banking APIs — Catalog of beta MCP tools mapped to REST operations across Core Banking (accounts, transactions, banking images) and User APIs (customer profile, contact methods, e-statements), with sample prompts and scope guidance.

Get Institution User API​

  • Retrieve Institution User (V2) — GET /v2/institution-users/{institutionUserId} is available in API Gateway Stage and Production, enabling partners to retrieve institution user profile and relationship data with FI-scoped encryption applied to sensitive response fields.
  • Encrypted PII — Expanding identificationDocuments via $expand returns document IDs encrypted with the financial institution's encryption key; vendors and third-party clients must coordinate with the FI to obtain the key for decryption.
  • Scope — The institution-users:read_pii scope is required to expand identificationDocuments; Apigee applications without this scope receive 403 Forbidden.
  • $expand — OData expansion supports contactMethods, postalAddresses, subUsers, and identificationDocuments, with optional $filter clauses on each segment.
  • Lookup — userIdType supports institution user ID, host user ID (retail only), login ID, legacy user GUID, and authentication user ID (authId).
  • Profile and Status — The Retrieve Institution User (V2) reference page documents request parameters, response schemas, encrypted-field behavior, and examples verified against the contract.
  • V1 compatibility — Bill pay credential retrieval remains on Retrieve Institution User (V1); it is not supported in V2.

Get Started​

  1. MCP Server Guide — Gateway architecture, beta Stage and Sandbox access, and MCP Inspector validation.
  2. Digital Banking APIs — Beta MCP tools for Core Banking and User APIs with REST reference links.
  3. Retrieve Institution User (V2) — FI-scoped encrypted PII, $expand, and institution-users:read_pii scope.
  4. Candescent DI API — Updated reference (OpenAPI 1.8.0); use Try It on endpoint pages for live Stage requests.

The Candescent Developer Experience Team