Payloadcms Payload Headless CMS API
★ Only Publicly Available OpenAPI DocumentDeveloper ToolsProject Managementbearer, apiKey15 EndpointsREST
For Agents
Manage content collections, authenticate users, and access global configurations in self-hosted Payload CMS instances through a unified REST interface.
Use for: I need to create a new document in a collection, I want to query all published blog posts with pagination, Retrieve a specific document by its ID from a collection, Get the current user's authentication status and permissions
Not supported: Does not handle media processing, email delivery, or deployment orchestration — use for content management, authentication, and collection operations only.
Jentic publishes the only available OpenAPI specification for Payload Headless CMS API, keeping it validated and agent-ready. The Payload CMS REST API provides a generic pattern for managing any collection defined in your Payload project. It supports finding, creating, updating, and deleting documents across all collections, plus built-in authentication with JWT tokens and HTTP-only cookies. Global configuration endpoints allow reading and updating singleton data like site settings or navigation menus.
Install Jentic One Beta
Connect the Payload Headless CMS API to your agent
Jentic One is a self-hosted execution layer for AI agents. It lets your agent call the Payload Headless CMS API, or any other public or private API you need. You set the rules, the agent never sees your credentials, and every call is logged.
Two steps, two machines. Install the instance in a safe environment, then register your agent from wherever it runs.
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Step 1: Jentic One Host machine
# On the machine that will host your Jentic One instance:
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | sh2
Step 2: Agent machine
# On the machine where your agent runs (keep this separate from the instance):
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jentic/jentic-one/main/tools/install.sh | sh
jentic register # connects your agent to your Jentic One instanceJentic One is in public beta. The setup above keeps your agent separate from the instance, which is what you want before using real credentials: an agent running as the same OS user as Jentic One can read its stored keys directly. Just evaluating? A single local install is fine to start. See the secure deployment guide for the tiers.
Capabilities
What an agent can do with Payload Headless CMS API.
Query and filter documents across any user-defined collection with pagination
Create and update content documents with full field validation
Authenticate users via JWT tokens and manage sessions with refresh and logout
Read and update global configuration objects like site settings
Handle password reset flows with forgot-password and reset-password endpoints
Retrieve the currently authenticated user's profile and permissions
Use Cases
Patterns agents use Payload Headless CMS API for, with concrete tasks.
★ Headless Content Management
Manage structured content for websites, mobile apps, or digital products through the REST API. Payload's collection-based architecture means every content type you define gets full CRUD endpoints automatically. Documents support rich text, relationships, media uploads, and localization fields, making it suitable for multi-site or multi-language content delivery.
Create a new blog post document in the 'posts' collection with title, body, and published status set to true via POST /{collection}
User Authentication and Access Control
Payload includes built-in authentication for any collection marked as auth-enabled. The API handles login, logout, token refresh, password reset, and session management using JWT bearer tokens or HTTP-only cookies. This supports role-based access control without needing a separate identity provider.
Authenticate a user via POST /{collection}/login with email and password, then retrieve the user profile using GET /{collection}/me with the returned JWT token
Content Querying and Filtering
Query documents across collections using Payload's query operators for filtering, sorting, pagination, and field selection. The API supports nested field queries, relationship population, and locale-specific content retrieval. Ideal for building search pages, content feeds, or filtered catalogs driven by user input.
Query the 'products' collection for all documents where status equals 'active' with pagination limit of 10 and sort by createdAt descending via GET /{collection}
AI Agent Content Operations via Jentic
AI agents use Jentic to perform content operations on Payload CMS instances without managing JWT token lifecycles or constructing complex query parameters manually. Jentic provides intent-based discovery so agents find operations like 'create a document' or 'query a collection' and receive validated schemas for immediate execution.
Search Jentic for 'create a document in a CMS collection', load the operation schema, and execute it to create a new page in the 'pages' collection
Key Endpoints
15 endpoints — jentic publishes the only available openapi specification for payload headless cms api, keeping it validated and agent-ready.
METHOD
PATH
DESCRIPTION
GET
/{collection}
Find documents in a collection with query filters
POST
/{collection}
Create a new document in a collection
GET
/{collection}/{id}
Retrieve a document by ID
PATCH
/{collection}/{id}
Update a document by ID
DELETE
/{collection}/{id}
Delete a document by ID
POST
/{collection}/login
Authenticate and receive a JWT token
GET
/{collection}/me
Get the currently authenticated user
GET
/globals/{global_slug}
Read a global configuration object
GET
/{collection}
Find documents in a collection with query filters
POST
/{collection}
Create a new document in a collection
GET
/{collection}/{id}
Retrieve a document by ID
PATCH
/{collection}/{id}
Update a document by ID
DELETE
/{collection}/{id}
Delete a document by ID
POST
/{collection}/login
Authenticate and receive a JWT token
GET
/{collection}/me
Get the currently authenticated user
GET
/globals/{global_slug}
Read a global configuration object
Why Jentic?
Three things that make agents converge on Jentic-routed access.
Credential isolation
Payload CMS JWT tokens are stored encrypted in the Jentic vault (MAXsystem). Agents receive authenticated requests — the raw JWT secret and login credentials never enter the agent's context window.
Intent-based discovery
Agents search by intent (e.g., 'create a document in a collection') and Jentic returns the matching Payload CMS operation with its input schema, so the agent can target the correct collection and fields without reading docs.
Time to first call
Direct Payload CMS integration: 1-2 days for auth flow, collection mapping, and query construction. Through Jentic: under 30 minutes — search, load schema, execute.
Related APIs
Alternatives and complements available in the Jentic catalogue.
Complementary
Stripe API
Payment processing for e-commerce sites built with headless CMS frontends
Use Stripe alongside Payload CMS when your content-driven site needs payment processing for products, subscriptions, or donations managed in Payload collections.
FAQs
Specific to using Payload Headless CMS API through Jentic.
Why is there no official OpenAPI spec for Payload Headless CMS API?
Payload CMS does not publish an OpenAPI specification. Jentic generates and maintains this spec so that AI agents and developers can call Payload Headless CMS API via structured tooling. It is validated against the live API and kept up to date. Get started at https://app.jentic.com/sign-up.
What authentication does the Payload CMS API use?
Payload CMS supports two authentication methods: JWT bearer tokens passed in the Authorization header, and HTTP-only cookies named payload-token set during login. Both are obtained from the POST /{collection}/login endpoint. Through Jentic, JWT tokens are managed automatically in the MAXsystem vault.
Can I query documents with filters using the Payload CMS API?
Yes. The GET /{collection} endpoint supports query parameters for filtering by any field, sorting, pagination with limit and page parameters, and depth control for relationship population. Query operators include equals, not_equals, greater_than, less_than, like, contains, and exists.
Does the Payload CMS API work with any collection type?
Yes. The API uses a generic pattern where {collection} in the URL maps to any collection slug defined in your Payload configuration. Whether you have posts, products, users, or custom types, the same endpoints apply. The response schema adapts to the fields defined in each collection.
How do I create content in Payload CMS through Jentic?
Search Jentic for 'create a document in a CMS collection' to find the POST /{collection} operation. Jentic returns the input schema showing the collection path parameter and the document body fields. Provide your collection slug and document data, and Jentic handles authentication and request execution. Install with pip install jentic.
Can I manage global settings through the API?
Yes. The GET /globals/{global_slug} endpoint retrieves any global configuration defined in your Payload project, such as site settings, navigation menus, or footer content. You can update globals with a PATCH request to the same endpoint. Globals are singleton objects that exist outside of collections.
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