Visual Studio App Center is scheduled for retirement on March 31, 2025. While you can continue to use Visual Studio App Center until it is fully retired, there are several recommended alternatives that you may consider migrating to.
App Center exposes a full set of API endpoints. You can explore the App Center API through the App Center OpenAPI Specification.
The App Center OpenAPI specification allows you to authenticate using your API token. Once you're authenticated, you can call App Center APIs to learn about the API and see what data it returns.
Types of tokens: user tokens and app tokens
App Center exposes two kinds of API tokens: user tokens, and app tokens.
User API tokens have the same rights that you do as a user of App Center. User API tokens work across all organizations and apps that you're associated with.
App API tokens have either Manager or Viewer rights, but within only one app.
Each App Center account may create up to 5000 API tokens.
Tip
We recommend creating and using App API tokens to limit the authorization scope to only one app at a time (and limit the risk if a token is exposed). If you need to automate something beyond one app, like working with organizations or shared distribution groups, you should create a User API token.
Warning
Don't embed API tokens into source code. API tokens should be treated as secrets, and stored securely.
Warning
A request must contain a payload body for POST/PUT/PATCH API calls. Use {} for an empty payload body, API calls will receive a 411 Length Required error response otherwise.
Select the app that you want to create an API token for.
On the left side, choose Settings.
In the middle panel, select App API Tokens from the menu list.
On the top-right corner, click New API token.
In the text field, enter a descriptive name for your token.
Select the type of access for your App API token:
Full Access: A full access App API token has the equivalent of Manager permissions for that app. Only Managers can create full access App API tokens.
Read-Only: A read-only App API token has the equivalent of Viewer access permissions for that app. Managers and Developers can create read-only App API tokens.
At the bottom of the panel, click Add new API token.
A pop-up will open with your App API token. Copy and store it in a secure location for later use. For security reasons, you can't see or generate the same token again after you click the Close button.
On the top-right corner of the App Center portal, click your account avatar, then select Account Settings.
In the middle panel, select User API Tokens from the menu list.
On the top-right corner, click New API token.
In the text field, enter a descriptive name for your token.
Select the type of access for your User API token:
Full Access: A full access User API token has all the permissions that you have for the current account / organization. For example, if you don't have manager or developer permissions for an app, the user can't run a test, even though you're using a full access User API token.
Read-Only: A read-only User API token has Viewer access permission for the current account / organization. For example, with a read-only User API token, you can read data from crashes, analytics, and get basic app information. Read-only User API tokens can't change app settings, trigger a build, create an export configuration, etc.
At the bottom of the panel, click Add new API token.
A pop-up will open with your User API token. Copy and store it in a secure location for later use. For security reasons, you can't see or generate the same token again after you click the Close button.
Click the Close button.
Using an API Token in an API request
When sending API requests to App Center from an application, you must include the API token in the header of every request sent to App Center.
Pass the API token in the request's X-API-Token header property.
Find your App Center app name and owner name
Some of App Center's API functions and CLI requests require an app name or owner name as parameters.
Using an API Token with the App Center OpenAPI Specification
The App Center OpenAPI Specification handles API authentication for you, so you don't have to paste the API token into headers for your requests. To test App Center APIs with your API token: