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

# Developer overview

> Start here to build on SaucerSwap: choose between the REST data API, the V3 Orderbook API, and on-chain contracts, with auth models and testnet setup.

SaucerSwap exposes three integration surfaces. Most integrations use more than one: read market data from an API, then quote and execute on-chain or through the order book.

<Frame caption="The three protocol versions behind the integration surfaces.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/saucerswaplabs/WgbLH3-BEEASvtv_/images/diagrams/protocol-architecture.svg?fit=max&auto=format&n=WgbLH3-BEEASvtv_&q=85&s=72a5844409a2ef8d8c7bb95c6b5de201" alt="SaucerSwap protocol architecture: the V1 AMM, V2 concentrated liquidity, and V3 order book side by side beneath the app's routing layer" width="940" height="480" data-path="images/diagrams/protocol-architecture.svg" />
</Frame>

## The three surfaces

| Surface            | What it gives you                                                                                  | Authentication                                                       | Reference                                          |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| REST data API      | Tokens, prices, candles, V1/V2 pools, farms, positions, and protocol stats                         | `x-api-key` header, issued by the team                               | [API reference](/api-reference/overview)           |
| Orderbook API (V3) | Order books, depth, trade tape, market quotes, order placement and cancellation, WebSocket streams | Public reads; wallet challenge + JWT for account data and order flow | [Orderbook API](/api-reference/orderbook/overview) |
| On-chain contracts | Swaps, quotes, liquidity, staking, and farming against the deployed V1 and V2 contracts            | None — you pay Hedera gas                                            | [Contract deployments](/developers/contracts)      |

## Which surface for which job

| You want to                                            | Use                                                                                                                                    |
| ------------------------------------------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Show prices, charts, TVL, or portfolio data            | [REST data API](/api-reference/overview)                                                                                               |
| Get a swap quote without executing                     | [QuoterV2 or router quote functions](/developers/v2/swap/swap-quote) — free via JSON-RPC or the mirror node                            |
| Execute swaps from your own app or bot                 | [V2 swap operations](/developers/v2/swap/swap-quote) (V1 available as [legacy](/developers/v1/swap/swap-quote))                        |
| Run a market maker or trading bot on the V3 order book | [Orderbook API](/api-reference/orderbook/overview) and the [TypeScript bot client](/developers/orderbook/typescript-client)            |
| Manage liquidity positions programmatically            | [V2 liquidity operations](/developers/v2/liquidity/new-liquidity-position)                                                             |
| Stake SAUCE or farm LP tokens from code                | [Staking operations](/developers/staking/single-sided-staking)                                                                         |
| Monitor swaps and pools in near real time              | [Track swap events](/developers/v2/swap/track-swap-events), or the [order book WebSockets](/api-reference/orderbook/websockets) for V3 |

<Note>
  V2 is recommended for new AMM integrations; V1 remains live but is legacy. The V3 order book is a separate matching system with its own [API](/api-reference/orderbook/overview) and [concepts page](/protocol/saucerswap-v3).
</Note>

## Test before mainnet

Every surface has a testnet counterpart:

| Surface       | Testnet endpoint                                                                                                                       |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| REST data API | `https://test-api.saucerswap.finance`                                                                                                  |
| Orderbook API | `https://testnet-orderbook-api.saucerswap.finance`                                                                                     |
| Contracts     | [Testnet deployments](/developers/contracts#hedera-testnet) via `https://testnet.mirrornode.hedera.com` and the testnet JSON-RPC relay |

Create a Hedera testnet account and fund it with test HBAR through the [Hedera developer portal](https://portal.hedera.com/). Use a dedicated integration account for bots — never a primary wallet key.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Quickstart" href="/developers/quickstart">
    Make your first API calls in under five minutes.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Contract deployments" href="/developers/contracts">
    Canonical contract and token IDs with HashScan links.
  </Card>

  <Card title="API reference" href="/api-reference/overview">
    Both APIs, authentication models, and every endpoint.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Build with AI" href="/developers/ai">
    llms.txt, the docs MCP server, and an agent rules file.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>