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For developers and platforms

Background check API

One REST API for Canadian criminal record, identity, reference, employment, and education checks. API key authentication, webhooks for status changes, and a sandbox you can hit before you talk to anyone.

Create a free account Free to sign up. Documentation and a sandbox key are in your account. Looking for white-label screening under your own brand? Jump to that section.
12+
Check types
200+
Jurisdictions
Webhooks
On every status change
Sandbox
Included with signup
Requestsandbox
POST /v1/checks Authorization: Bearer <api_key> Content-Type: application/json{ "candidate": { "email": "[email protected]", "first_name": "Sarah", "last_name": "Connor" }, "checks": ["criminal_record", "identity", "reference"], "webhook_url": "https://yourapp.com/hooks/credibled" }
Response201 Created
{ "id": "chk_4482ca", "status": "awaiting_candidate", "checks": ["criminal_record", "identity", "reference"], "created_at": "2026-08-16T14:22:07Z" }

Illustrative. Replace with real values from the documentation before publishing.

Use cases

What you can build

Screening inside your own product

If you sell an ATS, HRIS, marketplace, or gig platform, your users run checks without leaving your interface.

Screening inside your own hiring workflow

If you hire at volume, trigger checks from your internal systems rather than from a dashboard.

Screening you resell

Offer background checks under your own brand as a revenue line. See the white-label section below.

Reference

How the API works

Authentication

API key authentication. Your key is in your account once you sign up.

Sandbox and production keys are separate, so nothing you build against the sandbox can accidentally run a real check or generate a real charge.

Keys
# sandbox Authorization: Bearer sk_test_••••••••••••# production Authorization: Bearer sk_live_••••••••••••
One request, three checks
POST /v1/checks{ "candidate": { "email": "[email protected]" }, "checks": [ "criminal_record", "identity", "employment" ] }

Requesting a check

One endpoint takes a candidate and a list of check types. Bundle criminal record, identity, reference, employment, and education in a single request, or send them separately.

Receiving results

Webhooks fire on every status change, so you are not polling. Point them at your endpoint and you get the transition, the check ID, and the result when it lands.

Canadian criminal record checks typically complete in about 15 minutes. Reference checks depend on how fast referees respond, and the API surfaces every intermediate state so your UI can show real progress rather than a spinner.

Status timeline
awaiting_candidate
Invitation sent. Candidate has not started.
in_progress
Candidate submitted. Checks running.
complete
Result available at the result URL.
needs_review
Returned a possible match. Human review required.
Webhook payload
{ "event": "check.status_changed", "check_id": "chk_4482ca", "status": "complete", "result_url": "/v1/checks/chk_4482ca/result" }
No call required

Start in the sandbox, not in a sales call

Create a free account and you get the documentation and a sandbox key immediately. Build the integration, run test candidates through every status, and confirm it works before anyone asks you for a purchase order.

Talk to us when you are ready for production keys, or when your volume gets large enough that pricing is worth a conversation. Not before.

Create your free account
API keysAccount
Sandbox key Copied
sk_test_4f8a2c91be7d
Available the moment your account is created.
Production keyWhen ready
sk_live_••••••••••••
Issued when you move to production.
Full documentation is in the same account.
Coverage

Every check type, one API

The same integration covers everything Credibled runs.

Canadian criminal record checks
Matched against the RCMP National Repository through accredited police partners.
How Canadian checks work
Identity verification
13,500+ ID types, bundled into criminal record checks.
About identity verification
Reference checks
Automated reminders and integrity alerts on every response.
Explore reference checks
Employment, education, and credential verification
Confirmed at source with the employer, institution, or issuing body.
Credit reports, driving records, public records, social media
The risk and financial check types, through the same endpoint.
US and international checks
Coverage across 200+ jurisdictions.
International coverage
Adding a check type
"checks": [ "criminal_record", "identity", + "education" ]

Add a check type by changing an array.

No new integration work.

See the full list of check types
No code required

Already using an ATS?

Credibled connects to Bullhorn, JobAdder, and Vincere. If you run one of those, you do not need to write any code. Checks trigger from the workflow your recruiters already use and results come back to the candidate record.

If you are on something else, the API covers it, and our team will work through the integration with you.

Candidate record
SC
Sarah Connor
Operations Manager · shortlisted
Credibled panel In progress
Criminal recordrunning
Identitycomplete
Referencescomplete
Triggered from the workflow. No tab switching.
Y Your Brand
Complete your check

Takes about 5 minutes. You will need government-issued ID.

Consent
Verify your identity
Review and submit
Continue
Your brand. Your pricing. Our infrastructure.
Partnerships

White-label screening under your own brand

Run Credibled's screening as your own product. Your branding on the candidate-facing screens, your pricing to your customers, our infrastructure underneath.

This one does need a conversation, because pricing, branding, and support boundaries have to be scoped. Select white-label during signup and you will be routed to book that call.

Start the signup flow
Security & privacy

Security and data residency

Built in Canada, hosted in Canada, auditable end to end.

Visit the Trust and Security Centre
Hosted in Canada
All candidate data is stored on Canadian AWS infrastructure and does not leave the country.
PIPEDA compliant
Provincial requirements handled, including Quebec's Law 25.
Encrypted in transit and at rest
TLS on every API call.
Separate sandbox and production
Test data never touches real records.
Full audit trail
Every request, result, and access event is logged against your account.
Support

What integration support looks like

You get a named contact who knows your integration, not a ticket queue. When something breaks during a build, you are talking to someone who already has context on what you are building.

FAQ

API questions, answered

How do I get access to the documentation?
Create a free account. Documentation and a sandbox key are available inside your account. You do not need to book a call to read the docs.
Is there a sandbox?
Yes. Sandbox and production keys are separate, so you can build and test without running real checks or incurring charges.
How do I authenticate?
API key authentication. Your keys are issued in your account, with separate keys for sandbox and production.
Do I have to poll for results?
No. Webhooks fire on every status change. Point them at your endpoint and you receive transitions and results as they happen.
Which check types are available through the API?
All of them. Canadian and US criminal record checks, identity verification, reference checks, employment, education, and credential verification, credit reports, driving records, public records, social media screening, and international checks across 200+ jurisdictions. See every check type
Which ATS platforms does Credibled integrate with?
Bullhorn, JobAdder, and Vincere. If you use a different system, the API covers it and our team will work through the integration with you.
How fast do checks come back?
Canadian criminal record checks typically complete in about 15 minutes. Reference checks depend on referee response time, and the API exposes every intermediate status so you can show real progress.
Where is the data stored?
On Canadian AWS infrastructure. It stays in Canada. Credibled is PIPEDA compliant and handles provincial requirements including Quebec's Law 25. Visit the Trust and Security Centre
Can I white-label the candidate experience?
Yes. Candidate-facing screens can carry your branding. White-label arrangements are scoped individually, so select white-label during signup to book that conversation.
Is there a separate charge for API access?
You see your per-check pricing during signup, and the API uses the same account and the same rates. There is no separate platform fee to start building. If you are integrating at high volume or reselling under your own brand, pricing is scoped with our team, because those arrangements depend on volume, check mix, and how the integration is set up. See published access fees

Read the docs before you talk to us. We would rather you did.

Create a free account, get your sandbox key, and see whether it fits.