# Create an explant

> Adds an explant to the workspace, recorded as created by the key's owner. Link it to the plant it was taken from with plant_id.

Source: https://docs.xplantpro.com/docs/api/explants/create-explant

`POST https://app.xplantpro.com/api/v1/explants`

- Required scope: `write:explants`
- Credentials: workspace API key (`xpk_`)
- Idempotency-Key: honoured (24 hours)

Give it your own identifier in `external_id` to find it again with `GET /api/v1/explants?externalId=`. Fill in the lab's own fields with `custom_fields`: each value is checked against its field, and the whole request is refused if one does not fit.

Send an `Idempotency-Key` header to make retries safe: a repeat with the same key within 24 hours returns the first response instead of writing twice. See [Idempotency](https://docs.xplantpro.com/docs/idempotency.md).

## Headers

| Name | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `Idempotency-Key` | string | No | Any unique string you choose per logical write. A retry carrying the same key within 24 hours returns the first result instead of writing again. Scoped to your API key and this operation. 8–255 characters. Must match `^[A-Za-z0-9._:~-]+$`. |

## Request body

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `label` | string | Yes | The culture's label — the name the lab knows it by. 1–200 characters. |
| `plant_id` | string \| null (uuid) | No | The plant the explant was taken from. It must be a plant in the same workspace. |
| `batch_number` | string \| null | No | Up to 100 characters. |
| `notes` | string \| null | No | Up to 5000 characters. |
| `status` | `"active"` \| `"establishing"` \| `"growing"` \| `"needs_subculture"` \| `"quarantined"` \| `"senescing"` \| `"discarded"` \| `"retired"` \| `"lost"` | No | Where the culture stands. New explants default to `active`. |
| `external_id` | string \| null | No | Your own identifier for this culture, such as a batch or line code from your own records. It must be unique in the workspace, ignoring case, and it is how `GET /api/v1/explants?externalId=` finds the explant again. Send `null` to clear it. 1–100 characters. |
| `custom_fields` | object | No | Values for the lab's own fields, keyed by each field's key as set up in the lab's settings. Each value must fit its field: text, a number, `true` or `false`, a date, or one of a pick-list's options (a date is stored as `YYYY-MM-DD`). A key the lab has not set up is refused, and the values may total at most 10,000 bytes. Send `null` as a value to leave a field empty. |

## Example

**curl**

```bash
curl -X POST https://app.xplantpro.com/api/v1/explants \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $XPLANT_API_KEY" \
  -H "Idempotency-Key: import-2026-09-25-line-0412" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "label": "Zebrina line A",
    "plant_id": "8c3f2d1a-6b4e-4f7a-9d2c-1e5b7a9c3f60",
    "status": "establishing",
    "external_id": "LINE-0412-A",
    "custom_fields": {
      "medium_lot": "MS-2609-03",
      "cytokinin_added": true
    }
  }'
```

**JavaScript**

```js
import { XPlantClient } from "@shmaplex/xplant-sdk";

const client = new XPlantClient({ apiKey: process.env.XPLANT_API_KEY });

const explant = await client.explants.create(
  {
    label: "Zebrina line A",
    plant_id: "8c3f2d1a-6b4e-4f7a-9d2c-1e5b7a9c3f60",
    status: "establishing",
    external_id: "LINE-0412-A",
    custom_fields: { medium_lot: "MS-2609-03", cytokinin_added: true },
  },
  { idempotencyKey: "import-2026-09-25-line-0412" },
);
```

**Python**

```python
import os
import requests

resp = requests.post(
    "https://app.xplantpro.com/api/v1/explants",
    headers={
        "Authorization": f"Bearer {os.environ['XPLANT_API_KEY']}",
        "Idempotency-Key": "import-2026-09-25-line-0412",
    },
    json={
        "label": "Zebrina line A",
        "plant_id": "8c3f2d1a-6b4e-4f7a-9d2c-1e5b7a9c3f60",
        "status": "establishing",
        "external_id": "LINE-0412-A",
        "custom_fields": {"medium_lot": "MS-2609-03", "cytokinin_added": True},
    },
    timeout=10,
)
body = resp.json()
if not body["ok"]:
    raise RuntimeError(f"{resp.status_code} {body['code']}: {body['error']}")
explant = body["data"]
```

## Response

`201` with `{ "ok": true, "data": … }`. `data` holds the result.

| Field | Type | Required | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `id` | string (uuid) | Yes | — |
| `label` | string \| null | Yes | The culture's label — the name the lab knows it by. |
| `external_id` | string \| null | Yes | Your identifier for the culture: the `external_id` you gave it, otherwise its batch number, otherwise its label. Null when it has none of these. |
| `status` | string | Yes | Where the culture stands, usually one of `active`, `establishing`, `growing`, `needs_subculture`, `quarantined`, `senescing`, `discarded`, `retired`, `lost`. |
| `plant_id` | string \| null | Yes | The plant the explant was taken from, when one is recorded. |
| `workspace_id` | string \| null | Yes | The workspace the explant belongs to. |
| `initial_count` | integer \| null | Yes | The count recorded when the culture was started. |
| `current_count` | integer \| null | Yes | The culture's count as last recorded. |
| `created_at` | string \| null | Yes | ISO 8601 timestamp. |
| `custom_fields` | object | Yes | The lab's own fields for this record, keyed by each field's key as set up in the lab's settings. Values are text, numbers, `true` or `false`, or dates written as `YYYY-MM-DD`; a field left blank is absent or `null`. Empty when the lab has set up no fields. |

```json title="Response"
{
  "ok": true,
  "data": {
    "id": "b7e4a2c9-1f3d-4e8b-8a6c-5d2f9e1b7c34",
    "label": "Zebrina line A",
    "external_id": "LINE-0412-A",
    "status": "establishing",
    "plant_id": "8c3f2d1a-6b4e-4f7a-9d2c-1e5b7a9c3f60",
    "workspace_id": "3a9e7c21-5d4b-4c8f-a1e6-9b2d0f4c7e13",
    "initial_count": null,
    "current_count": null,
    "created_at": "2026-09-25T10:05:00.000Z",
    "custom_fields": {
      "medium_lot": "MS-2609-03",
      "cytokinin_added": true
    }
  }
}
```

| Response header | Meaning |
| --- | --- |
| `Idempotent-Replay` | `true` when this response is a replay of an earlier request with the same `Idempotency-Key`. |
| `X-Request-Id` | Identifies this request. Include it when you contact support. |

## Errors

| Status | Code | When |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `400` | `VALIDATION_ERROR` | The request body is not valid JSON. |
| `401` | `UNAUTHORIZED` | The key is missing, malformed or revoked, or its owner is no longer a member of the workspace. |
| `402` | `PAID_PLAN_REQUIRED` | The workspace's plan does not include the API. The full API is included with xPlant+ Teams and Enterprise; on Hobby and Pro Lab, keys can connect devices only. |
| `402` | `PLAN_LIMIT_REACHED` | The key's owner is on the Free allowance and has created as many explants as it includes. |
| `403` | `FORBIDDEN` | The key lacks a scope this operation requires, or its owner's current role in the workspace cannot use it — a key never does more than its owner can in xPlant. `error` names the scope, and for a role, the role it needs. |
| `403` | `DEVICE_TOKEN_NOT_ACCEPTED` | A device token was sent; this operation needs a workspace API key. |
| `409` | `IDEMPOTENCY_IN_FLIGHT` | A request with this `Idempotency-Key` is still being processed; retry after `Retry-After` seconds. |
| `409` | `DUPLICATE_ENTRY` | Another explant in the workspace already uses this `external_id`, including one that has been deleted. |
| `422` | `VALIDATION_ERROR` | The `Idempotency-Key` header is malformed. |
| `422` | `VALIDATION_ERROR` | A field failed validation. `error` names the first one, for example `title: title is required`. |
| `422` | `VALIDATION_ERROR` | `plant_id` is not a plant in the workspace. |
| `422` | `VALIDATION_ERROR` | `custom_fields` names a field the lab has not set up, gives a field a value that does not fit it, or totals more than 10,000 bytes. `error` names the field. |
| `429` | `RATE_LIMIT_EXCEEDED` | Too many requests for this key, device token or workspace. Wait `Retry-After` seconds. |
| `500` | `EXPLANT_CREATE_FAILED` | The explant could not be saved. Retry with the same `Idempotency-Key`. |

Branch on `code`, never on the `error` text. See [Errors](https://docs.xplantpro.com/docs/errors.md).