> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://nytshift.gitbook.io/nytshift-docs/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://nytshift.gitbook.io/nytshift-docs/agents-identity-and-data/development-api.md).

# Development API

`apps/api` is an optional local development tool, not a NIGHTSHIFT production dependency. It cannot sign or submit a live order. Its paper state is process-local and every stateful response declares `executionCapability: "none"`.

Start an intentional session from a fresh PowerShell window:

```powershell
$env:NIGHTSHIFT_DEV_API_ENABLED = "true"
$env:NIGHTSHIFT_DEV_API_HOST = "127.0.0.1"
$env:NIGHTSHIFT_DEV_API_PORT = "4100"
$env:NIGHTSHIFT_DEV_API_TOKEN = [Convert]::ToBase64String([Security.Cryptography.RandomNumberGenerator]::GetBytes(48))
pnpm --filter @terminal/api build
pnpm --filter @terminal/api start
```

Call authenticated routes with `Authorization: Bearer <NIGHTSHIFT_DEV_API_TOKEN>`. Health at `http://127.0.0.1:4100/health` is the only unauthenticated route. Invalid bearer guesses are limited to 10/minute without locking out the correct token; authenticated reads allow 60/minute and mutations 20/minute per process capability. Bodies are capped at 64 KiB.

Stop with Ctrl+C, then remove the four `NIGHTSHIFT_DEV_API_*` variables from that shell. Never persist or reuse the token. Startup must fail when enablement/token is absent, the token is a placeholder or outside 32–4096 bytes, the port is outside 1024–65535, or the host differs from `127.0.0.1`.


---

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