# Connect to a project

Keep your project slug, endpoint, and credentials together in server-side configuration.
A store ID is not the project slug: stores are resources inside a project.

## Choose the endpoint


Project endpoints

```text
https://api.thorcommerce.io/{project}/admin/graphql
https://api.thorcommerce.io/{project}/storefront/graphql

```


Replace `{project}` with your project's slug.
Use the Admin endpoint for management work and the Storefront endpoint for buying experiences.
The unscoped schema endpoints are for schema discovery, not project commerce data.

## Choose the credential

| Caller | Header |
| --- | --- |
| Server integration with an Admin API key | `X-Api-Key: <admin-api-key>` |
| Signed-in Admin user | `Authorization: Bearer <admin-access-token>` |
| Protected Storefront project | `X-Thor-Storefront-Token: <storefront-token>` |
| Signed-in customer | `Authorization: Bearer <customer-access-token>` in addition to required Storefront access |

Do not put an Admin API key in a bearer header.
A customer token grants customer identity, not Admin access.
See [Authentication and project routing](/concepts/api/authentication) for the boundaries.

## Verify a read

Configure `THOR_PROJECT` and `THOR_ADMIN_API_KEY` in your local shell or secret environment, then run:


Connection check

```bash
curl --fail-with-body "https://api.thorcommerce.io/${THOR_PROJECT}/admin/graphql"   -H "X-Api-Key: ${THOR_ADMIN_API_KEY}"   -H 'Content-Type: application/json'   --data '{"query":"query ConnectionCheck { stores(first: 1) { nodes { id name } } }"}'

```


Inspect both the HTTP result and the JSON body.
`data.stores.nodes` with an empty list can still be a successful connection to an unconfigured project.
A top-level `errors` array requires inspection even with HTTP 200.

| Symptom | Check first |
| --- | --- |
| Non-JSON response | Host, route, proxy, and project slug |
| Authentication failure | Header type, credential value, and environment |
| Permission failure | Whether the credential allows the requested operation |
| Successful empty catalog | Store setup and publication rather than authentication |

Continue with the [Admin quickstart](/getting-started/admin-quickstart) or [Storefront quickstart](/getting-started/storefront-quickstart).