> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.digitalapi.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.digitalapi.ai/developer-portal/subscribe-and-get-access/requesting-a-subscription.md).

# Subscribing to APIs and Products

A subscription is the link that connects one of a consumer's applications to an API or Product under a defined plan. It is the step that turns a published API from something a consumer can read about into something their application is entitled to call. This chapter covers how a signed-in consumer requests that access and tracks each request through its lifecycle.

![Figure 1. An API detail page, where a signed-in consumer requests a subscription.](/files/wnV4WKkfmwpuEGMJv4ro)

### What you see

* **Status badge**: a label under the title that reflects the signed-in consumer's relationship to this API or Product. It reads **Unsubscribed** at first, moves to **Pending** after a request that needs approval, and settles on **Active** once access is granted.
* **Plan terms**: the plan attached to the API, with any quota, rate-limit, and pricing details the provider has published. A consumer reviews these before committing.
* **Subscribe control**: the button that opens the subscription request. It prompts the consumer to pick an application or to create one inline if none exist yet.
* **Application picker**: a list of the consumer's existing applications. Choosing one ties the subscription, and therefore the entitlement, to that application's credentials.
* **Subscriptions view**: in the profile, a list of every subscription the consumer holds, each row showing the API or Product, the linked application, and the current state.

### Request a subscription

1. Sign in, then open the API or Product from the catalog.
2. Read the plan, including any quota and rate-limit terms shown.
3. Click **Subscribe**.
4. Choose the application the subscription applies to, or create one when prompted (see [Managing applications and credentials](/developer-portal/subscribe-and-get-access/managing-apps-and-credentials.md#managing-applications-and-credentials)).
5. Submit the request. The badge updates to **Pending** or **Active** depending on the API's configuration.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Note:** When approval is required, the request stays **Pending** until a provider reviews it. The consumer is notified when the state changes.
{% endhint %}

### Track your subscriptions

![Figure 2. The consumer's subscriptions view, listing each subscription with its application and state.](/files/DIvYfmyTQcLJ5sOlkdv7)

1. Open the **Subscriptions** area of your profile.
2. Read each row to see which API or Product an application is subscribed to and the state of that subscription.
3. Unsubscribe from anything no longer in use; the entitlement is withdrawn and the badge returns to **Unsubscribed**.

### Verify

* On the API detail page, the badge reads **Active** for the chosen application.
* The Subscriptions view lists the subscription against the right application with an active state.
* The application's issued credentials are accepted at the gateway. The portal manages the entitlement; the consumer's application calls the gateway directly using those credentials, so the portal is not in the request path.

### Options and variations

* **Immediate versus gated activation**: providers that allow open subscriptions activate the request on submission. Providers that gate access hold it at **Pending** until approval, after which it becomes **Active**.
* **Subscription states**: beyond Pending and Active, a subscription can be **Suspended** by a provider, which keeps the row but blocks calls, or **Revoked**, which ends the entitlement. The badge and the Subscriptions view reflect each state.
* **One application, many subscriptions**: a single application can hold subscriptions to several APIs and Products at once, each tracked as its own row.
* **Empty state**: a fresh account shows no subscriptions until the first request is submitted.

{% hint style="success" %}
**Result:** The consumer has requested access and can track each subscription's state. Once active, the linked application's credentials are accepted at the gateway.
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.digitalapi.ai/developer-portal/subscribe-and-get-access/requesting-a-subscription.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.