# What is Gateman?

Gateman connects applications to the external services they rely on through
authenticated, application-scoped capabilities. It supports operations across
email, SMS, payments, storage, and cloud services, and can assist with the
provider setup needed to get an application running.

You choose the capabilities an application needs and the providers it uses.
Gateman manages the associated provider credentials for supported operations,
while developers integrate with an Official client or use Gateman's published
implementation instructions with a coding agent.

## What can you do with Gateman?

| Capability family | What Gateman supports |
| --- | --- |
| Email and SMS | Send email through [Amazon SES, Postmark, and Resend](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/email.send/) and SMS through [Twilio, Telnyx, and AWS SMS](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/sms.send/), where configured and supported. |
| Payments | Make supported native requests through [Stripe](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/stripe.use/), [Square](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/square.use/), and [PayPal](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/paypal.use/). Gateman is not the payment processor and does not receive raw card details. |
| Storage | Generate signed upload and download operations for [Amazon S3](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/s3.use/) and [Cloudflare R2](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/r2.use/). Object data transfers directly between the application and the storage provider; it does not pass through Gateman. |
| Cloud and provider administration | Use bounded, supported operations through the [AWS](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/aws.use/) and [Cloudflare](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/cloudflare.use/) administrative API relays. Provider permissions still determine what an operation can do. |
| Other supported capabilities | Retrieve specifically authorized stored credentials or named database passwords, and obtain the credentials needed for application-local [Turnstile or reCAPTCHA verification](https://docs.getgateman.com/capabilities/anti_bot.verify/). |

### Assisted provisioning

Gateman can simplify supported provider setup instead of leaving every step to
the developer. For Amazon SES, supported workflows can assist with AWS
identity and permission setup, domain verification and applicable DNS
configuration, sending configuration, event-tracking infrastructure, sandbox
testing, and production-access request preparation. Gateman can guide and
perform the supported setup steps, but AWS still controls approval and
provider-native permissions; production access is not guaranteed or automatic.

Managed provisioning is limited to resources and configuration required by a
supported Gateman capability. It is not general cloud infrastructure
management, and it does not take control of unrelated customer resources.

### AI-assisted development

A developer can give a coding agent Gateman's bootstrap instructions and
implementation references so the agent can build a supported integration
without receiving the underlying provider credentials. The developer remains
responsible for the Gateman application, enabled capabilities, provider
choices, deployment, and production authorization. The agent does not control
the Gateman account or select capabilities beyond the developer's task.

## How Gateman works

The basic model is:

```text
Application  →  Gateman  →  supported provider or service
```

The application authenticates with its Gateman signing credentials. Gateman
authorizes the capabilities enabled for that application and uses configured
provider credentials for operations that require them. Provider-native
permissions remain authoritative, and the applicable capability contract
defines the supported routes, request model, and provider behavior.

Not every capability is a provider relay. Presigning returns a signed storage
operation so object data can move directly between the application and the
provider. Authorized credential retrieval returns a specifically permitted
value for application-local use. See [Authentication](https://docs.getgateman.com/authentication/)
and [Contract v1](https://docs.getgateman.com/contract-v1/) for integration
details.

## Applications, teams and plans

Each application has its own authentication and enabled capabilities. Console
users manage the Gateman account separately: team members can receive access
to all applications or only selected applications. Changes to console access
are enforced at the next authenticated console request. Console-user access
does not rotate application signing credentials or disable an application's
runtime authentication. See [Teams and access management](https://docs.getgateman.com/teams-and-access-management/)
for the roles, application-access choices, invitations, and revocation
behavior.

Standard provides core capabilities according to the account's current
entitlements. Premium adds supported managed provisioning and gated
capabilities such as managed email tracking and suppression. See the [signup
page](https://getgateman.com/signup/) for current plan options and
availability.

## Getting started

- [Getting started with an application](https://docs.getgateman.com/getting-started-with-an-application/)
  for application integration.
- [GetGateman for WordPress](https://docs.getgateman.com/wordpress/) for
  WordPress email and supported payment integrations.
- [Using Gateman with coding agents](https://docs.getgateman.com/using-gateman-with-coding-agents/)
  for AI-assisted implementation.
- [Security overview](https://docs.getgateman.com/security-overview/) for the
  credential, access, and trust model.