Quick Intake API

Create intake sessions programmatically from your CRM, automation platform, or custom application. Perfect for GoHighLevel, Zapier, Make.com, and custom integrations.

Base URL

https://intake.link/api/t/{slug}/quick-intake

🔑

API Key Auth

Secure authentication via header

⚡

Instant Sessions

Create intake links in milliseconds

🔄

Deduplication

Smart email-based duplicate prevention

Authentication

All API requests require an API key passed in the X-API-Key header.

Getting Your API Key

Log into your intake.link dashboard
Go to Settings → Integrations
Click Generate API Key
Copy and securely store your key (it won't be shown again)

Security Best Practices

Never expose your API key in client-side code
Don't commit API keys to version control
Use environment variables in production
Rotate keys periodically

Create Intake Session

POST/api/t/{slug}/quick-intake

Creates a new intake session and returns a unique URL for the client to complete their intake form. If an active session already exists for the provided email, the existing session is returned instead.

Request Headers

Header	Value	Required
Content-Type	application/json	Yes
X-API-Key	Your API key	Yes

Request Body

Field	Type	Required	Description
name	string	Required	Client's full name
email	string	Optional	Client's email (used for deduplication)
phone	string	Optional	Client's phone number
externalId	string	Optional	Your CRM's contact ID (for linking back)
id	string	Optional	Alias for externalId (GHL compatibility)
source	string	Optional	Lead source identifier (e.g., "GHL", "Zapier")
assignedToEmail	string	Optional	Email of staff member to assign. Falls back to default assignee or org owner.
intakeTemplateId	string	Optional	Specific intake template ID (from dashboard). Falls back to default template if not provided.
notifyEmail	string	Optional	Email to notify when e-sign completes (in addition to tenant notifications).
metadata	object	Optional	Arbitrary key-value data from your CRM. Stored with the session and included in webhook payloads.
forceNew	boolean	Optional	Bypass email deduplication and always create a new session. Default: false.

Success Response (New Session)

{
  "success": true,
  "url": "https://yourfirm.intake.link/i/Xk9mQ2bR",
  "staffUrl": "https://yourfirm.intake.link/dashboard/sessions/550e8400-...",
  "shortId": "Xk9mQ2bR",
  "sessionId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "isNew": true,
  "intakeTemplateId": "abc123-def456",
  "intakeTemplateName": "PI Standard Retainer",
  "hasEsign": true,
  "hasForm": true,
  "hasPayment": false,
  "externalId": "ghl_contact_123",
  "source": "GHL",
  "metadata": { "campaign": "google-ads", "ref": "landing-page-v2" },
  "assignedTo": "user_abc123",
  "assignedToEmail": "attorney@yourfirm.com",
  "assignmentResolution": "provided",
  "notifyEmail": "paralegal@firm.com",
  "message": "New intake session created using \"PI Standard Retainer\""
}

Response Fields

Field	Description
url	Client-facing intake URL to send to the lead
staffUrl	Dashboard URL for your staff to manage/view the session
shortId	8-character unique identifier for the session
sessionId	Full UUID of the session (for webhook correlation)
isNew	Whether a new session was created (false = existing session returned)
status	Current session status (only for existing sessions)
assignedToEmail	Email of the staff member assigned to this session
assignmentResolution	How assignment was resolved: "provided", "default", or "owner"
metadata	The metadata object you provided (echoed back)

Success Response (Existing Session)

If an active session exists for the provided email and template, the API returns it instead of creating a duplicate. Use forceNew: true to bypass this:

{
  "success": true,
  "url": "https://yourfirm.intake.link/i/Xk9mQ2bR",
  "staffUrl": "https://yourfirm.intake.link/dashboard/sessions/550e8400-...",
  "shortId": "Xk9mQ2bR",
  "sessionId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
  "isNew": false,
  "status": "signing",
  "intakeTemplateId": "abc123-def456",
  "intakeTemplateName": "PI Standard Retainer",
  "hasEsign": true,
  "hasForm": true,
  "externalId": "ghl_contact_123",
  "source": "GHL",
  "metadata": null,
  "notifyEmail": null,
  "message": "Existing session found for this email and template"
}

Code Examples

cURL

curl -X POST https://intake.link/api/t/yourfirm/quick-intake \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -H "X-API-Key: il_live_your_key_here" \
  -d '{
    "name": "John Doe",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "phone": "555-123-4567",
    "externalId": "contact_123",
    "source": "GHL",
    "assignedToEmail": "attorney@yourfirm.com",
    "intakeTemplateId": "abc123-def456",
    "notifyEmail": "paralegal@firm.com",
    "metadata": { "campaign": "google-ads" }
  }'

JavaScript / Node.js

const response = await fetch(
  'https://intake.link/api/t/yourfirm/quick-intake',
  {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Content-Type': 'application/json',
      'X-API-Key': process.env.INTAKE_LINK_API_KEY,
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      name: 'John Doe',
      email: 'john@example.com',
      phone: '555-123-4567',
      externalId: 'contact_123',
      source: 'MyApp',
      assignedToEmail: 'attorney@yourfirm.com',
      intakeTemplateId: 'abc123-def456',
      notifyEmail: 'paralegal@firm.com',
      metadata: { campaign: 'website', ref: 'contact-form' },
    }),
  }
);

const data = await response.json();

if (data.success) {
  console.log('Client URL:', data.url);
  console.log('Staff URL:', data.staffUrl);
  console.log('Template:', data.intakeTemplateName);
  console.log('Assigned to:', data.assignedToEmail);
} else {
  console.error('Error:', data.error);
}

GoHighLevel Workflow

Create a workflow with an HTTP Request action:

Method: POST

URL: https://intake.link/api/t/yourfirm/quick-intake

Headers:

Content-Type: application/json
X-API-Key: your_api_key

Body (Raw JSON):

{
  "id": "{{contact.id}}",
  "name": "{{contact.first_name}} {{contact.last_name}}",
  "email": "{{contact.email}}",
  "phone": "{{contact.phone}}",
  "source": "GHL"
}

The id field maps to externalId for linking back to your GHL contact.

Zapier Webhook

Configure a Webhooks by Zapier action:

Action: Custom Request

Method: POST

URL: https://intake.link/api/t/yourfirm/quick-intake

Data Pass-Through: False

Data: Map your trigger fields to name, email, phone

Headers:

Content-Type: application/json
X-API-Key: your_api_key

Errors & Rate Limits

Error Codes

Status	Error	Cause
`400`	Name is required	Missing or empty name field
`400`	Invalid JSON body	Malformed JSON in request
`400`	Invalid intake template ID	Specified intakeTemplateId doesn't exist
`400`	Intake template is disabled	Specified template exists but is disabled
`401`	API key required	Missing X-API-Key header
`403`	Invalid API key	API key doesn't exist or is revoked
`403`	API key does not match tenant	Key belongs to different tenant
`403`	Tenant is disabled	Account has been disabled
`429`	Rate limit exceeded	Too many requests (see below)
`500`	Failed to create session	Internal server error

Rate Limits

60 requests per minute

Rate limits are applied per API key. The limit resets after 60 seconds. Responses include a X-RateLimit-Remaining header showing remaining requests.

Webhooks & Events

intake.link can notify your systems when events occur, such as when a client completes their intake form or signs documents.

Available Events

intake.completed— Client finished intake (staff approved)
intake.walk_in.received— Walk-in client submitted intake
esignature.completed— Document was signed

Webhooks are configured in your dashboard under Settings → Integrations. We recommend using Make.com for advanced automation workflows.

Inbound Leads API

Receive leads directly into your pipeline from external systems like Make.com, Zapier, or custom integrations. Leads appear in your dashboard and can be converted to intake sessions.

POST/api/leads/inbound

Request Headers

Header	Value
Authorization	Bearer il_live_xxxxx
Content-Type	application/json

Request Body

Field	Type	Required	Description
name	string	Required	Lead's full name
email	string	Optional	Lead's email address
phone	string	Optional	Lead's phone number
practiceArea	string	Optional	Type of case (e.g., "Personal Injury")
notes	string	Optional	Additional notes about the lead
sourceId	string	Optional	External ID for deduplication (updates existing lead if matched)
assignedToEmail	string	Optional	Staff email to assign this lead to. Falls back to default assignee or org owner.
metadata	object	Optional	Custom key-value data to store with the lead
source	string	Optional	Lead source identifier (defaults to "webhook")

Deduplication

If an existing intake session is found for the provided email, the API returns the session info instead of creating a duplicate lead:

{
  "success": true,
  "existingSession": {
    "sessionId": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "shortId": "Xk9mQ2bR",
    "status": "signing",
    "assignedTo": "user_abc123",
    "assignedToEmail": "staff@yourfirm.com",
    "createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
  },
  "created": false,
  "message": "Existing intake session found for this email"
}

Success Response (New Lead)

{
  "success": true,
  "lead": {
    "id": "lead_abc123xyz",
    "name": "John Smith",
    "email": "john@example.com",
    "phone": "(555) 123-4567",
    "status": "new",
    "source": "webhook",
    "sourceId": "rec123abc",
    "practiceArea": "Personal Injury",
    "assignedTo": "user_xyz789",
    "assignedToEmail": "staff@yourfirm.com",
    "createdAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
    "updatedAt": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z"
  },
  "created": true
}

Staff Assignment

When assignedToEmail is provided, the system looks up the staff member by email. If not found or not provided, it falls back to your configured default assignee, then to the organization owner. This ensures every lead has an owner for visibility and routing in Make.com.

Need Help?

Questions about the API or need help with your integration?

inbox@intake.link