---
title: "Backend identity"
method: GET
path: "/instance"
tags: ["System"]
---

# Backend identity

`GET /instance`

Return this backend's self-describing identity.

Unauthenticated and dependency-free so any client (an MCP server, the
CLI, an agent) can read which backend it is bound to — local vs. a
remote install — and label its responses accordingly.

## Response `200`

Successful Response

- InstanceIdentityResponse — Self-describing identity of the backend serving this request. A client can compare ``backend``/``canonical_base_url``/``host`` against where it *thinks* it is pointed to confirm it is talking to the intended backend (e.g. a local install vs. a remote one) before diagnosing "missing" data.
  - `backend` 'local' | 'remote', required — Operator-declared backend locality (server.backend): 'local' for a self-hosted install on the operator's own machine/network, 'remote' for a hosted install run elsewhere. A hint, not an authorization signal; defaults to 'local'.
  - `canonical_base_url` string, required — The instance's own canonical base URL (auth.canonical_base_url), with any userinfo stripped; '' if unset.
  - `host` string, required — Host (and port, when the canonical base URL declares one) parsed from canonical_base_url; '' if unset or unparseable.
  - `instance_id` string, nullable — Opaque digest derived from the telemetry instance id — stable per install, but not the telemetry id itself. Null when telemetry has not resolved an id (e.g. telemetry disabled).

---

[API](https://skmtc.net/jentic/apis/jentic-control-plane-api.md) · [All operations](https://skmtc.net/jentic/apis/jentic-control-plane-api/llms.txt) · [OpenAPI document](https://skmtc-service-staging.skmtc.workers.dev/v1/apis/jentic/jentic-control-plane-api/revisions/25c23e262a29/schema)