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

# Get Candidate Data

> Retrieve candidate details and form element values

## Get Candidate Data

Fetch candidate details for a given external identifier and flow ID. Returns stored form element values if requested.

### Endpoint

```
POST /external/v1/get_candidate_data
```

### Authentication

> \[!NOTE]
> Requires a valid company API key in the `Authorization` header (format: `Api-Key <key>`).

### Request Body

| Field                 | Type             | Required | Description                                     |
| --------------------- | ---------------- | -------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `external_identifier` | string           | Yes      | Unique user identifier                          |
| `flow_id`             | string (UUID)    | Yes      | The ID of the flow                              |
| `form_element_ids`    | array of strings | No       | List of form element IDs to retrieve values for |

### Example Request

```bash theme={null}
curl -X POST "https://api.firstwork.com/external/v1/get_candidate_data" \
  -H "Authorization: Api-Key YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "external_identifier": "EMP-12345",
    "flow_id": "550e8400-e29b-41d4-a716-446655440000",
    "form_element_ids": ["elem-uuid-1", "elem-uuid-2"]
  }'
```

### Responses

#### 200: OK

Successfully retrieved candidate data.

#### 400: Bad Request

Invalid request or missing required fields.

#### 404: Not Found

Candidate not found.

### Notes

* For retrieving data across multiple applications, see [Candidate Data & Submissions](/api-reference/endpoints/candidate-data-submissions)