> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.marioded.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.marioded.com/api-introduction/api.md).

# Developer hub

Turn match lifecycle events into recordings, playback, and custom replay experiences.

Connect Reverse to the way your server already works. Start with the feature you want to build, then choose the API for the machine where it runs.

## Choose your integration

<table data-view="cards"><thead><tr><th></th><th></th><th data-hidden data-card-target data-type="content-ref"></th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><strong>Record a match</strong></td><td>Start when the arena is ready. Save when the game finishes. Keep the replay ID with your match.</td><td><a href="/api-how-to-guides/recording.md">Recording integrations</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Add a Watch button</strong></td><td>Authorize a selection and start local playback, or send a viewer through your lobby.</td><td><a href="/api-how-to-guides/playback.md">Playback integrations</a></td></tr><tr><td><strong>Make it your own</strong></td><td>Add menu actions, hotbar controls, and game-specific replay events.</td><td><a href="/api-how-to-guides/ui-extensions.md">UI extension concepts</a></td></tr></tbody></table>

## Learn the API from the beginning

The introduction builds one recording integration a little at a time. Start with service discovery, create a recording, then add arena bounds and participant selection to the same example.

| Step                                                                     | What you will build or learn                                            |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| [1. Setting up](/api-introduction/getting-started.md)                    | Add the dependency and declare the runtime plugin.                      |
| [2. Services, recordings, and sessions](/api-introduction/concepts.md)   | Understand the objects you will use and which UUID identifies each one. |
| [3. Creating your first recording](/api-introduction/first-recording.md) | Connect a minimal start/stop integration to a match.                    |
| [4. Improving your recording](/api-introduction/improving-recording.md)  | Select the arena and participants, and handle persistence outcomes.     |

{% content-ref url="/pages/m9tQJ0VAsw3jZ4HXAX22" %}
[Setting up](/api-introduction/getting-started.md)
{% endcontent-ref %}

## Which API do I need?

| Your plugin runs on… | Start with     | Typical feature                                                      |
| -------------------- | -------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| A gameplay server    | `api-recorder` | Automatic recording, arena bounds, participants, save notifications. |
| A replay server      | `api-player`   | Playback, seeking, speed, viewer controls, custom rendering.         |
| A selection lobby    | `api-lobby`    | Authorized catalog selection and proxy dispatch.                     |

Shared data contracts live in `api`; menu action contracts live in `api-gui`. Player and recorder can run on separate machines, so keep their role-specific bindings separate too.

## Browse by task

| Task                                        | Guide                                                                  |
| ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| List, rename, or delete recordings safely   | [Catalog and storage](/api-how-to-guides/catalog-and-storage.md)       |
| Notify players after a save really finishes | [Events](/api-how-to-guides/events.md)                                 |
| Register a custom catalog button            | [Menu actions](/api-how-to-guides/menu-actions.md)                     |
| Add an in-playback control                  | [Hotbar controls](/api-how-to-guides/hotbar-controls.md)               |
| Handle completion callbacks correctly       | [Threading and failures](/api-how-to-guides/threading-and-failures.md) |
| Move a viewer to a replay server            | [Availability and dispatch](/api-how-to-guides/availability.md)        |
| Follow an end-to-end implementation         | [Integration recipes](/api-how-to-guides/recipes.md)                   |
| Copy a complete integration example         | [Example gallery](/api-how-to-guides/examples.md)                      |

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Authorize before playback.** Raw storage and playback methods are building blocks, not catalog permission checks. Use a trusted actor and the catalog when serving a player's selection.
{% endhint %}

## Going deeper

Add [custom recordables](/advanced-integrations/recordables.md) for portable game-specific events. Implement [terrain providers](/advanced-integrations/terrain-providers.md) or [protocol adapters](/advanced-integrations/adapters.md) only when extending the runtime itself. Ordinary minigame integrations do not need to replace these internals.


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