canonical: https://jentic.com/apis/combell.com/combell

# Combell Public API

Combell is a Belgian hosting provider whose Public API lets resellers and customers manage domains, DNS records, Linux and Windows hosting, mailboxes, mail zones, accounts, SSL, and scheduled tasks programmatically. The API exposes 75 endpoints across 58 paths covering domain registration and transfer, DNS CRUD, mailbox provisioning, anti-spam and aliases, PHP and SSL settings on Linux hosting, SSH key management, and reseller account creation. Authentication uses HMAC-signed requests with a customer-issued key and secret per Combell's authorisation documentation.

## For AI agents

Manage Combell hosting accounts, domains, DNS records, mailboxes, mail zones, SSL, and Linux hosting settings programmatically via 75 endpoints.

## Scope

Does not handle payment processing, end-user customer billing, or third-party DNS providers - use for Combell-hosted domains, mail, and hosting management only.

## Capabilities

- Register, transfer, and renew domain names via `/domains/registrations`, `/domains/transfers`, and `/domains/{domainName}/renew`
- Create, update, and delete DNS records on a domain via `/dns/{domainName}/records`
- Provision and manage mailboxes including password, autoreply, and autoforward via /mailboxes
- Configure mail-zone catch-alls, anti-spam, and aliases via `/mailzones/{domainName}`
- Adjust Linux hosting PHP version, memory limit, and APCu settings via `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/phpsettings`
- Manage SSH keys, scheduled tasks, and Let's Encrypt SSL on Linux hostings
- Create reseller accounts and view account details via /accounts

## Use cases

### White-Label Hosting Resale

Resell Combell hosting through a custom storefront by orchestrating /accounts (create reseller accounts), `/domains/registrations` (register the customer's domain), and /linuxhostings (provision the hosting). The API covers the full provisioning lifecycle so a reseller portal can issue a hosting plan in minutes without touching Combell's UI. Pair with /mailboxes to set up the customer's first email account during onboarding.

Example prompt: Call POST /accounts to create a reseller account, POST `/domains/registrations` for the customer's domain, then POST /mailboxes to create their first mailbox

### DNS Automation

Automate DNS management across many domains by calling GET `/dns/{domainName}/records` to read the current zone and POST/PUT/DELETE `/dns/{domainName}/records` to apply changes. A devops platform can keep DNS in sync with a git-managed source of truth, applying drift corrections on a schedule. The API supports common record types so most multi-domain rollouts can be scripted.

Example prompt: For each domain in a tracked list, call GET `/dns/{domainName}/records`, diff against the desired state, and call POST/PUT/DELETE on `/dns/{domainName}/records` to converge

### Email Provisioning at Scale

Provision mailboxes for a customer's full team in a single workflow by calling POST /mailboxes for each user, configuring autoreply and autoforward via PUT `/mailboxes/{mailboxName}/autoreply` and /autoforward, and managing aliases through `/mailzones/{domainName}/aliases.` This pattern fits agencies onboarding new clients who need a turnkey email setup.

Example prompt: For each user in a CSV, call POST /mailboxes with email and password, then POST `/mailzones/{domainName}/aliases` for any aliases the user needs

### Site Configuration Audits

Audit Linux hosting configurations across a customer base by reading PHP version (`/linuxhostings/{domainName}/phpsettings/availableversions`), GZIP compression, HTTP/2 status, and SSL configuration. A managed-service provider can flag sites running outdated PHP or missing Let's Encrypt and remediate via the corresponding PUT endpoints. This keeps compliance and security baselines current.

Example prompt: For each linux hosting, GET `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/phpsettings/availableversions` and PUT `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/phpsettings/version` to bring outdated sites up to a target PHP version

### AI Agent Hosting Operations via Jentic

Let an AI agent operate a Combell hosting account by searching Jentic for the operation it needs (register a domain, add a DNS record, create a mailbox) and executing it. Combell's HMAC credentials live in your Jentic One instance and are signed into requests at execution so the agent never sees the key or secret.

Example prompt: Use Jentic to search 'add a DNS record', load the POST `/dns/{domainName}/records` schema, and execute it with the desired record type and value

## Key endpoints

| Method | Path | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| POST | `/domains/registrations` | Register a new domain |
| POST | `/dns/{domainName}/records` | Create a DNS record |
| POST | `/mailboxes` | Create a new mailbox |
| POST | `/mailzones/{domainName}/aliases` | Create a mail-zone alias |
| PUT | `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/phpsettings/version` | Change PHP version |
| PUT | `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/sslsettings/{hostname}/letsencrypt` | Configure Let's Encrypt SSL |
| POST | `/accounts` | Create a reseller account |

## Key resources

- **Domains** — Register, transfer, renew, and edit nameservers
- **DNS Records** — CRUD on records within a domain's zone
- **Mailboxes** — Create mailboxes and configure autoreply, autoforward, and password
- **Mail Zones** — Catch-alls, aliases, and anti-spam configuration per domain
- **Linux Hostings** — PHP, SSL, FTP, SSH, scheduled tasks, and site settings
- **Accounts** — Reseller account creation and detail

## Why Jentic

- **Setup:** Wiring Combell by hand means computing an HMAC signature from your key and secret for every request and handling more than seventy domain, DNS, mail, and hosting endpoints yourself. Through Jentic you install once, import Combell from the API Directory, store the key and secret once, and your agent calls it.
- **Permission scoping:** Combell puts the domain name in the URL path (`/dns/{domainName}/records`, `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/...`), so a rule can pin your agent to one domain: it manages only that domain and nothing else. You choose the operations it may call, so actions like registering domains or creating accounts are not included unless you add them.
- **Credential handling:** Your Combell HMAC key and secret are stored once, encrypted, by your own Jentic One instance and the request is signed at execution time. They never enter the agent's prompt, logs, or context.
- **Discovery method:** Agents search Jentic by intent such as 'add a DNS record' or 'create a mailbox', and Jentic returns the matching Combell operation with its input schema so the agent calls the right endpoint without browsing the reference docs.

## Related APIs

- **Cloudflare API** — DNS, CDN, and security layer in front of Combell-hosted sites
- **DigitalOcean API** — Cloud VMs, managed DNS, and load balancers as an alternative compute platform
- **Linode API** — Cloud compute and managed DNS provider with global regions
- **SendGrid Account Provisioning API** — Outbound transactional email to pair with Combell's domain mailboxes

## FAQ

### What authentication does the Combell Public API use?

Combell uses HMAC-signed requests with a key and secret issued from the customer area. Each request must be signed per Combell's authorisation documentation. Through Jentic the key and secret live in the encrypted vault and the signed Authorization header is generated at execution so neither value enters the agent's prompt.

### Can I register a new domain through the Combell Public API?

Yes. POST `/domains/registrations` registers a new domain on behalf of the authenticated reseller account. Use POST `/domains/transfers` to transfer in an existing domain and PUT `/domains/{domainName}/renew` to renew one.

### How do I manage DNS records with the Combell Public API?

GET `/dns/{domainName}/records` returns the zone and POST creates a record. Individual records are addressed by recordId for PUT (edit) and DELETE. The same endpoints serve A, AAAA, CNAME, MX, TXT, and other supported record types.

### What are the rate limits for the Combell Public API?

The OpenAPI spec does not enumerate explicit rate limits. Combell enforces fair-use limits per account; 401 and 403 responses indicate authorisation issues, while 429 indicates throttling. Consult your Combell customer area for current limits.

### How do I create a mailbox for a domain through Jentic?

Search Jentic for 'create a mailbox', load the POST /mailboxes schema, and execute it with the email address, password, and quota. Jentic signs the HMAC Authorization header from vault credentials and returns the created mailbox.

### Can I configure Let's Encrypt SSL through the API?

Yes. PUT `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/sslsettings/{hostname}/letsencrypt` provisions or updates a Let's Encrypt certificate for a hostname on a Linux hosting site. Pair with /autoredirect to force HTTPS once the certificate is installed.

### Can I limit what my agent is allowed to do with the Combell Public API?

Yes. Because you run Jentic One yourself, your own rules decide which Combell operations and credentials the agent may use. Combell puts the domain name in the URL path (for example `/dns/{domainName}/records` and `/linuxhostings/{domainName}/...`), so a rule can pin the agent to a single domain and let it manage only that domain's DNS, mailboxes, and hosting settings. You also choose the exact operations it can call, so high-impact actions like registering domains via POST `/domains/registrations` or creating reseller accounts via POST /accounts stay off limits until you grant them.