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

# Introduction

> Structured data from the web — no browser, no scraping setup required.

ScoutLayer is a data API platform. You send a request, we return clean, typed JSON. No headless browsers to manage, no HTML to parse, no anti-bot measures to fight.

**AppMarketData** is the first vertical: structured data from the Shopify App Store — app details, reviews, categories, developers, and keyword rankings.

## How it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Authenticate">
    Every request needs an API key or OAuth Bearer token. Generate your key in the [dashboard](https://app.scoutlayer.io/settings/api-keys).
  </Step>

  <Step title="Call an endpoint">
    Hit a REST endpoint or invoke an MCP tool. Pass a handle, keyword, or category — get back a fully parsed JSON object.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Use the data">
    Pipe it into your database, analysis pipeline, AI agent, or product — no post-processing needed.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Access methods

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="REST API" icon="code" href="/quickstart">
    Standard HTTP endpoints with OpenAPI documentation. Works with any language or HTTP client.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP" icon="robot" href="https://app.scoutlayer.io/settings/api-keys">
    Native MCP tools for AI agents. Drop ScoutLayer into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-compatible host.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Credits

Each successful API call consumes **1 credit**. Credits reset monthly on your billing date. Top up or upgrade in the [dashboard](https://app.scoutlayer.io/settings/billing).

<Note>
  Free tier includes 100 credits/month. No credit card required to start.
</Note>