Question 1

What is ClinikAPI?

Accepted Answer

ClinikAPI is a managed healthcare API. You send simple JSON through a REST API or the TypeScript SDK, and ClinikAPI turns it into FHIR R4 resources and stores them securely, so you do not have to build FHIR handling or compliance infrastructure yourself.

Question 2

What is a FHIR API?

Accepted Answer

FHIR (Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources) is the standard format for exchanging health data. A FHIR API lets an application create, read, update, delete and search clinical records such as patients, observations and prescriptions using that standard. ClinikAPI exposes FHIR R4 resources behind a simpler request format.

Question 3

How long does it take to get started?

Accepted Answer

The quickstart creates a first patient in under 5 minutes: create an account and a test key, install the SDK with npm, and make one call. The Free plan needs no payment and uses a shared sandbox with synthetic data.

Question 4

Should I build my own FHIR server or use a managed API?

Accepted Answer

Running your own FHIR server means you also own its hosting, encryption, backups, access control, audit logging and upgrades. A managed API takes that work away and lets your team spend its time on the product. Teams that need full control of the deployment can ask about Enterprise, which can run in your own cloud.

Question 5

Who exactly is ClinikAPI built for?

Accepted Answer

We are built for builders. Our primary users are health tech developers, digital health startups, and modern clinic networks who need to launch HIPAA-compliant patient experiences without building EHR infrastructure from scratch.

Question 6

What is the difference between test and live API keys?

Accepted Answer

Test keys start with clk_test_ and use the shared sandbox, which holds synthetic data only. Live keys start with clk_live_ and use your dedicated server. Test keys are available on every plan; live keys need a paid plan and can be created only by an organization owner or admin.

Question 7

Can I use ClinikAPI directly from the browser?

Accepted Answer

No. The SDK is server-side only because it uses your secret API key, which must never be exposed in client-side code. For frontend screens, use the React components, which talk to a small proxy on your own backend rather than to ClinikAPI directly.

Question 8

Which FHIR resources does ClinikAPI support?

Accepted Answer

ClinikAPI supports 62 FHIR R4 resources, including Patient, Practitioner, Encounter, Observation, MedicationRequest, Appointment, Condition, Claim and Coverage. Each has create, read, update, delete, search and pagination.

Question 9

How do webhooks work?

Accepted Answer

Create a webhook in the Developer Dashboard with an HTTPS endpoint and choose the events you want, named like patient.created or encounter.updated. Every delivery is signed with HMAC-SHA256 so you can verify it came from ClinikAPI, and a response that is not successful counts as a failed delivery and is retried.

Question 10

Do you have a React component library?

Accepted Answer

Yes. @clinikapi/react provides 14 React components, such as an intake form, a vitals widget and an appointment scheduler. Install it with npm, import one stylesheet, and the widgets follow your theme. They work through your backend proxy.

Question 11

What happens when a request fails?

Accepted Answer

Errors use standard HTTP status codes and a structured body with an error code and a request ID you can quote to support. Rate limits return a 429 with a code that tells you whether to slow down or whether the Free monthly allowance is used up.

Question 12

Will I see new records straight away after I create them?

Accepted Answer

A created record is readable by its ID immediately. Search results are eventually consistent: new or changed records typically appear within a few seconds, so read by ID right after a write instead of searching.

Question 13

Where do test keys go?

Accepted Answer

Test keys on every plan use the shared sandbox, which holds synthetic data only and may be reset. Your dedicated Pro or Team server holds live data only. Sandbox traffic is never billed.

Question 14

Can I use the UI Library with my own FHIR server?

Accepted Answer

While our UI components are strictly FHIR R4 compliant, they are optimized for ClinikAPI metadata and authentication. We recommend using them with our Managed FHIR Engine for the best experience.

Question 15

How fast are the Event Flow webhooks?

Accepted Answer

Webhooks are delivered as events happen, and every delivery is signed so your server can verify it. Failed deliveries are retried.

Question 16

How do I store patient data in FHIR R4?

Accepted Answer

Send a simple JSON object, for example a patient with first name, last name, gender and birth date, to the API or SDK. ClinikAPI validates it, converts it to a FHIR R4 Patient resource, tags it to your organization and stores it. You get back the resource with its permanent ID.

Question 17

Can I work with raw FHIR resources?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Besides the simplified requests, the SDK has a FHIR pass-through for sending and reading FHIR resources directly.

Question 18

Can we move data from an existing EHR?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. We provide import tools and can assist with custom FHIR mapping for large migrations as part of our Enterprise and Team onboarding.

Question 19

Can I use ClinikAPI to build AI scribes?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Our strictly structured FHIR data provides the perfect context for LLMs. Many developers use ClinikAPI to feed clinical payloads to AI models securely via HIPAA-compliant proxies.

Question 20

Can I export all my data at once?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We believe in data portability. Every plan can read all of its data through the API, Team and Enterprise add self-serve bulk export in NDJSON format, and on Free and Pro support will run a one-off bulk export on request.

Question 21

Does ClinikAPI support interoperability with other systems?

Accepted Answer

Yes. ClinikAPI is built entirely on the FHIR R4 standard. This ensures that your data is natively interoperable with any framework or EHR system that supports the FHIR R4 specification.

Question 22

Is ClinikAPI HIPAA compliant, and do you sign a BAA?

Accepted Answer

A HIPAA BAA is included on every paid plan (Pro, Team and Enterprise). The Free plan is a synthetic-data sandbox and is not covered by a BAA, so never put real patient data into it.

Question 23

How is my data isolated from other customers?

Accepted Answer

Every record is tagged to your organization, and each request is checked so you can only see your own data. On Pro and Team your project also runs on its own dedicated FHIR server and database.

Question 24

Is my data encrypted?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit, and API keys are stored hashed so we never keep a plaintext secret. Every request is audit logged.

Question 25

How does the HIPAA BAA work?

Accepted Answer

A HIPAA BAA is available on paid plans only (Pro, Team and Enterprise). The Free plan is a synthetic-data sandbox and is not covered by a BAA, so never put real patient data into it.

Question 26

Is your FHIR storage logically or physically isolated?

Accepted Answer

The Free sandbox is shared, with each project logically isolated. Every Pro and Team project runs on its own dedicated FHIR server, in its own isolated virtual machine, with its own database. Enterprise can add a dedicated database server, its own private network or cloud account, or a deployment in your own cloud.

Question 27

Do you support multi-region data residency?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Enterprise customers can choose specific cloud regions for their data to meet local compliance or performance requirements.

Question 28

How much does a managed FHIR server cost?

Accepted Answer

A dedicated FHIR server and database starts with Pro at $99 per month, or $79 per month billed annually, and includes Small compute. Team is $399 per month, or $319 billed annually, and includes Medium compute with a failover standby. You can choose larger compute sizes and pay only the difference.

Question 29

Can I upgrade or downgrade at any time?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can manage your subscription via the Developer Dashboard. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing cycle.

Question 30

Do you offer a trial for paid plans?

Accepted Answer

No. The Free plan is the way to try ClinikAPI: build and test against the shared sandbox with test keys. Pro and Team are billed from the first day, and you can book a demo to see a dedicated project first.

Question 31

What is the difference between the rate limit and the monthly quota?

Accepted Answer

The rate limit caps how fast you can call the API in a rolling 60-second window. The monthly quota caps how much you use in a billing month and applies to the Free plan only (1,000 requests, resetting on the 1st). Pro and Team have no monthly request quota; their rate limit scales with the compute size you choose and can be raised on request. Both limits return a 429: RATE_LIMITED means slow down and retry, MONTHLY_QUOTA_EXCEEDED means the Free allowance is used up.

Question 32

Can my bill grow without warning?

Accepted Answer

Pro has a spend cap that is on by default: you pay your plan and the compute size you chose, nothing more, unless you turn the cap off. If a project goes over its included storage, it becomes read-only for writes until you add storage or remove data. Team billing is shown in the dashboard as it accrues.

Question 33

What counts as a "Request"?

Accepted Answer

Any read, write, or search operation performed against the FHIR API is counted as a single request. Requests count toward the Free plan's monthly allowance and toward every plan's rate limit; Pro and Team have no monthly request quota.

Question 34

When does the Free allowance reset?

Accepted Answer

On the 1st of each calendar month at 00:00 UTC. Nothing carries over to the next month.

Question 35

How is compute billed?

Accepted Answer

Compute is billed by the hour and invoiced monthly, so resizing mid-month is fair. Pro includes Small and Team includes Medium with a failover standby; you pay only the difference to go bigger. On Team, a larger size is charged for both copies, because the standby runs a second copy.

Question 36

Is there a discount for non-profits?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we offer a 20% discount for qualified 501(c)(3) organizations. Contact our sales team to verify your status.

Question 37

Do you offer custom pricing for startups?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we have a specialized program for early-stage health tech startups. Reach out to see if you qualify.

Question 38

Is there a limit on clinical resources?

Accepted Answer

No. Every plan supports all FHIR R4 resource types we offer (Patients, Observations, and the rest). Free is limited by its monthly request allowance; Pro and Team are limited only by the size of their dedicated compute and storage.

Question 39

What is the uptime guarantee?

Accepted Answer

Team includes a 99.9% uptime SLA, backed by its included failover standby. Enterprise customers agree a custom SLA. Pro has no SLA; add a failover standby, a copy that takes over if your server fails.

Question 40

What kind of support is included?

Accepted Answer

Free has community support. Pro includes email support with a response within 2 business days, and Team priority support within 1 business day. Enterprise customers get a named contact and agreed response times.

Frequently asked questions

Getting started

Developers & SDK

FHIR & data

Security & compliance

Pricing & billing

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