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

# App Invites

> How invite links enable third parties to connect accounts without Narrative authentication

App invites let applications generate shareable invitation links for third-party account onboarding. An invitee follows the link, connects their account (for example, via OAuth with Pinterest), and a profile is created in the inviting company's Narrative account — no Narrative authentication required.

## Why app invites exist

Onboarding external partners typically requires coordinating account creation, credentials, and permissions. App invites remove this friction by letting the inviter send a single link. The invitee never needs to sign up for Narrative or understand the platform — they simply authorize access to their external account, and the integration is ready.

This is especially valuable when:

* **Scaling partner networks** — onboard dozens or hundreds of partners without manual account setup
* **Reducing time-to-value** — partners can connect in minutes instead of days
* **Minimizing support burden** — self-service onboarding eliminates back-and-forth coordination

## How app invites work

```mermaid theme={null}
sequenceDiagram
    participant Inviter as Inviter
    participant App as Connector App
    participant API as Narrative API
    participant Invitee as Invitee
    participant OAuth as External Platform

    Inviter->>App: Request invite for partner
    App->>API: Create app invite
    API-->>App: Return invite URL with app code
    App-->>Inviter: Share invite URL
    Inviter->>Invitee: Send invite link
    Invitee->>App: Open invite URL
    App->>API: Look up invite by code
    API-->>App: Return invite details
    App->>OAuth: Redirect to OAuth flow
    OAuth-->>App: Authorization granted
    App->>API: Activate invite and create profile
```

1. The **inviter** requests an invite through the connector app
2. The app calls the Narrative API to **create an app invite**, receiving a unique URL containing an [app code](/reference/glossary#app-code)
3. The inviter **shares the URL** with the intended partner
4. The **invitee** opens the link, which directs them to the **app's landing page**
5. The app uses the invite code to **look up the invite** via the Narrative API's public endpoint
6. The app redirects the invitee to the external platform's **OAuth authorization flow**
7. After the invitee **authorizes access**, the app calls the Narrative API to **activate the invite** and create a profile in the inviter's company account

## Invite lifecycle

Each app invite progresses through a series of states:

| State      | Description                                                            | Transition                                                       |
| ---------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `pending`  | Invite has been created but the invitee has not yet completed the flow | Moves to `active` when the invitee completes OAuth authorization |
| `active`   | The invitee has connected their account and a profile has been created | Can be moved to `archived` when no longer needed                 |
| `archived` | The invite is deactivated and no longer usable                         | Terminal state                                                   |

## Reconnect invites

Some connectors support a second type of app invite: **reconnect invites**. Instead of creating a new profile, a reconnect invite allows an invitee to refresh the OAuth token on an existing profile.

This is useful when a partner's token has expired and you need them to re-authorize without disrupting the existing profile configuration, ad account associations, or active connections.

The flow is the same as a standard invite — the invitee receives a link, completes OAuth, and the token is updated in place. The [Pinterest Connector](/reference/connectors/pinterest) currently supports reconnect invites.

## Security considerations

App invites are designed with several security properties:

* **Scoped access** — each invite is tied to a specific app and company. The resulting profile has only the permissions needed for that integration
* **No Narrative authentication for invitees** — invitees interact only with the external platform's OAuth flow, reducing the attack surface
* **Public code lookup** — invite details can be retrieved using the [app code](/reference/glossary#app-code) without authentication, allowing invitees to verify the invite before proceeding. The app code reveals only non-sensitive metadata about the invite

***

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