> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bodhveda.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Send your first notification in minutes using Bodhveda API or Console.

## Prerequisites

To follow this guide with the API, you’ll need to:

* Go to [Bodhveda Console](https://console.bodhveda.com).
* Create a **new project**.
* Click on **API Keys** in the sidebar.
* Click on **Create API Key** and generate an API key with `Full access` scope.

## Send direct notification with API

Use the [send notification](/api-reference/endpoint/notifications/send-notification) API to send a direct notification to a [recipient](/docs/concepts/recipients). If the recipient doesn't exist, Bodhveda creates it automatically when sending a direct notification.

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.bodhveda.com/notifications/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": { "recipient_id": "recipient_123" },
    "payload": { "title": "Welcome!", "message": "Thanks for joining." }
  }'
```

Then you can use the [list recipient's notifications](/api-reference/endpoint/recipients/notifications/list-notifications) API and you will see the notification you just sent earlier.

```bash theme={null}
curl -X GET "https://api.bodhveda.com/recipients/recipient_123/notifications" \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
```

```json theme={null}
[
    {
        "id": 42069,
        "recipient_id": "recipient_123",
        "payload": {
            "title": "Welcome!",
            "message": "Thanks for joining."
        }
        // ... other fields.
    }
]
```

## Send broadcast notification with API

Broadcast to multiple recipients. This requires some setup:

* At least one [recipient](/docs/concepts/recipients) must exist.
* At least one project [preference](/docs/concepts/preferences) must exist.

##### **Create a recipient**

Use [create recipient](/api-reference/endpoint/recipients/create-recipient) API to create a recipient in your project.

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.bodhveda.com/recipients \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"recipient_id": "user@example.com", "name": "Jane Doe"}'
```

##### **Create a project preference**

Before broadcasting, you must add at least one project preference to define a target (channel, topic, event):

1. Go to [Bodhveda Console](https://console.bodhveda.com).
2. Click on **Preferences** in the sidebar.
3. Click on **Create Preference**.
4. Define a target by mentioning the channel, topic, and event, give it a name (and an optional description), and set default to enabled.
5. Save the preference.

This way all recipients are by default subscribed to this target in your project.

##### **Send broadcast notification**

Use the [send notification](/api-reference/endpoint/notifications/send-notification) API to send a broadcast notification to a [target](/docs/concepts/targets) that was used to create the project preference.

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST https://api.bodhveda.com/notifications/send \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "to": { "channel": "announcements", "topic": "product", "event": "new_feature" },
    "payload": { "title": "Big News!", "message": "We just launched a new feature." }
  }'
```

<Note>
  No <code>recipient\_id</code> makes this notification turn into a broadcast.
  All recipients subscribed to this target will receive this notification.
</Note>

## Send notification from Console

You can also send notifications from the [Bodhveda Console](https://console.bodhveda.com):

1. Go to **Notifications** tab.
2. Click on **Send Notification** to send a direct notification to a recipient or a broadcast to subscribed recipients.

##### **Next Steps**

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="API Reference" icon="terminal" href="/api-reference/introduction">
    Explore the API in depth.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Concepts" icon="book" href="/docs/concepts/recipients">
    Explore concepts that make up Bodhveda.
  </Card>
</Columns>