diff --git a/create-a-container/routers/containers.js b/create-a-container/routers/containers.js
index a03006c..fe4fee6 100644
--- a/create-a-container/routers/containers.js
+++ b/create-a-container/routers/containers.js
@@ -65,8 +65,43 @@ router.get('/new', requireAuth, async (req, res) => {
   });
 });
 
+// Helper to detect API bearer requests
+function isApiRequest(req) {
+  const accept = (req.get('accept') || '').toLowerCase();
+  return accept.includes('application/json') || accept.includes('application/vnd.api+json');
+}
+
 // GET /sites/:siteId/containers - List all containers for the logged-in user in this site
-router.get('/', requireAuth, async (req, res) => {
+router.get('/', async (req, res) => {
+  // If called by API clients using Bearer token, return JSON instead of HTML
+  if (isApiRequest(req)) {
+    try {
+      const siteId = parseInt(req.params.siteId, 10);
+      const site = await Site.findByPk(siteId);
+      if (!site) return res.status(404).json([]);
+
+      // Limit search to nodes within this site
+      const nodes = await Node.findAll({ where: { siteId }, attributes: ['id'] });
+      const nodeIds = nodes.map(n => n.id);
+
+      const { hostname } = req.query;
+      const where = {};
+      if (hostname) where.hostname = hostname;
+      where.nodeId = nodeIds;
+
+      const containers = await Container.findAll({ where, include: [{ association: 'node', attributes: ['id', 'name'] }] });
+      const out = containers.map(c => ({ id: c.id, hostname: c.hostname, ipv4Address: c.ipv4Address, macAddress: c.macAddress, node: c.node ? { id: c.node.id, name: c.node.name } : null, createdAt: c.createdAt }));
+      return res.json(out);
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('API GET /sites/:siteId/containers error:', err);
+      return res.status(500).json({ error: 'Internal server error' });
+    }
+  }
+
+  // Browser path: require authentication and render HTML
+  await new Promise(resolve => requireAuth(req, res, resolve));
+  if (res.headersSent) return; // requireAuth already handled redirect
+
   const siteId = parseInt(req.params.siteId, 10);
   
   const site = await Site.findByPk(siteId);
@@ -203,12 +238,41 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
   // Validate site exists
   const site = await Site.findByPk(siteId);
   if (!site) {
+    if (isApiRequest(req)) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Site not found' });
     req.flash('error', 'Site not found');
     return res.redirect('/sites');
   }
 
   // TODO: build the container async in a Job
   try {
+  // If API client (Bearer token), perform a lightweight create and return JSON
+  if (isApiRequest(req)) {
+    try {
+      const { hostname, ipv4Address, macAddress, nodeName, containerId } = req.body;
+      if (!hostname) return res.status(400).json({ error: 'hostname required' });
+      // attempt to associate node if provided
+      let node = null;
+      if (nodeName) node = await Node.findOne({ where: { name: nodeName, siteId } });
+
+      let existing = await Container.findOne({ where: { hostname } });
+      if (existing) return res.status(200).json({ containerId: existing.id, message: 'Already exists' });
+
+      const created = await Container.create({
+        hostname,
+        username: req.body.username || 'api',
+        nodeId: node ? node.id : null,
+        containerId: containerId || null,
+        macAddress: macAddress || null,
+        ipv4Address: ipv4Address || null
+      });
+
+      return res.status(201).json({ containerId: created.id, message: 'Created' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('API POST /sites/:siteId/containers error:', err);
+      return res.status(500).json({ error: 'Internal server error' });
+    }
+  }
+
   const { hostname, template, services } = req.body;
   const [ nodeName, templateVmid ] = template.split(',');
   const node = await Node.findOne({ where: { name: nodeName, siteId } });
@@ -378,9 +442,25 @@ router.post('/', async (req, res) => {
 });
 
 // PUT /sites/:siteId/containers/:id - Update container services
-router.put('/:id', requireAuth, async (req, res) => {
+router.put('/:id', async (req, res) => {
   const siteId = parseInt(req.params.siteId, 10);
   const containerId = parseInt(req.params.id, 10);
+  // API clients may update container metadata via Bearer token
+  if (isApiRequest(req)) {
+    try {
+      const container = await Container.findByPk(containerId);
+      if (!container) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Not found' });
+      await container.update({
+        ipv4Address: req.body.ipv4Address ?? container.ipv4Address,
+        macAddress: req.body.macAddress ?? container.macAddress,
+        osRelease: req.body.osRelease ?? container.osRelease
+      });
+      return res.status(200).json({ message: 'Updated' });
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('API PUT /sites/:siteId/containers/:id error:', err);
+      return res.status(500).json({ error: 'Internal server error' });
+    }
+  }
   
   const site = await Site.findByPk(siteId);
   if (!site) {
@@ -513,9 +593,21 @@ router.put('/:id', requireAuth, async (req, res) => {
 });
 
 // DELETE /sites/:siteId/containers/:id - Delete a container
-router.delete('/:id', requireAuth, async (req, res) => {
+router.delete('/:id', async (req, res) => {
   const siteId = parseInt(req.params.siteId, 10);
   const containerId = parseInt(req.params.id, 10);
+  // If API request, perform lightweight delete and return JSON/204
+  if (isApiRequest(req)) {
+    try {
+      const container = await Container.findByPk(containerId);
+      if (!container) return res.status(404).json({ error: 'Not found' });
+      await container.destroy();
+      return res.status(204).send();
+    } catch (err) {
+      console.error('API DELETE /sites/:siteId/containers/:id error:', err);
+      return res.status(500).json({ error: 'Internal server error' });
+    }
+  }
   
   // Validate site exists
   const site = await Site.findByPk(siteId);
diff --git a/create-a-container/server.js b/create-a-container/server.js
index 31a40ad..b66cd33 100644
--- a/create-a-container/server.js
+++ b/create-a-container/server.js
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ async function main() {
   const groupsRouter = require('./routers/groups');
   const sitesRouter = require('./routers/sites'); // Includes nested nodes and containers routers
   const jobsRouter = require('./routers/jobs');
+  // expose API endpoints before HTML routes so they respond at top-level
+  app.use('/', apiContainersRouter);
   app.use('/jobs', jobsRouter);
   app.use('/login', loginRouter);
   app.use('/register', registerRouter);