# Use the Financial Connections API to relink an account

Integrate the relink authentication flow directly into your website or application.

Your customer might need to relink an existing [Financial Connections account](https://docs.stripe.com/api/financial_connections/accounts/object.md) to restore data access, refresh deactivated [tokenized account numbers](https://docs.stripe.com/financial-connections/tokenized-account-numbers.md), or update the data permissions available on the account. Use the Financial Connections server-side API and a client-side SDK library to prompt your customer to complete a relink session directly in your website or application.

Your integration will:

1. [Create a Financial Connections session](https://docs.stripe.com/api/financial_connections/sessions/create.md) on the server which sets the [relink_options](https://docs.stripe.com/api/financial_connections/sessions/create.md#financial_connections_session_object-relink_options) parameter.
2. Pass the session’s [client_secret](https://docs.stripe.com/api/financial_connections/sessions/object.md#financial_connections_session_object-client_secret) to your front end.
3. Use a client SDK method such as [collectFinancialConnectionsAccounts](https://docs.stripe.com/js/financial_connections/collect_financial_connections_accounts) to prompt your customer to complete the authentication flow.
4. Handle the relinking outcome on the client.
5. Optionally, handle webhook events when accounts relink successfully.

## Basic API relink flow 

Create a [Financial Connections Session](https://docs.stripe.com/api/financial_connections/sessions/create.md) with `relink_options.authorization`, then pass the returned `client_secret` to your client.

The following example asks your customer to reauthenticate with the institution associated with an existing [Financial Connections Authorization](https://docs.stripe.com/api/financial_connections/authorizations/object.md). The customer can relink any eligible account at that institution.

```curl
curl https://api.stripe.com/v1/financial_connections/sessions \
  -u "<<YOUR_SECRET_KEY>>:" \
  -d "account_holder[type]=customer" \
  -d "account_holder[customer]={{CUSTOMER_ID}}" \
  -d "permissions[]=payment_method" \
  -d "permissions[]=balances" \
  -d "relink_options[authorization]={{FINANCIALCONNECTIONSAUTHORIZATION_ID}}"
```

Use the returned `client_secret` with [collectFinancialConnectionsAccounts](https://docs.stripe.com/js/financial_connections/collect_financial_connections_accounts) to present the authentication flow to your customer. When the customer completes the flow, the returned `financialConnectionsSession` includes a `relink_result` sub-object:

```js
const {financialConnectionsSession, error} = await stripe.collectFinancialConnectionsAccounts({
  clientSecret: "fcsess_client_secret_UsESkKYzeiRcivgDJZfxZRFh",
});

if (error) {
  // Show the error to your customer or ask them to try again.
  return;
}

if (financialConnectionsSession) {
  if (financialConnectionsSession.relink_result.authorization) {
    // Relink succeeded. Use financialConnectionsSession.accounts on your server.
  } else if (financialConnectionsSession.relink_result.failure_reason) {
    switch (financialConnectionsSession.relink_result.failure_reason) {
      case 'no_account':
        // The customer authenticated, but didn't link an eligible account.
        break;
      case 'no_authorization':
        // The customer didn't successfully authenticate with their institution.
        break;
      case 'other':
        // An unexpected failure occurred.
        break;
    }
  }
}
```

For payments or payouts, you might also need to constrain account selection with `filters.account_subcategories` and `limits.accounts`. For data products, you might need to reconcile all accounts on the Authorization. See the guides in the following section for those variants.

## Next steps

[Relink for payments or payouts](https://docs.stripe.com/financial-connections/relink/api/payments-or-payouts.md): Configure the authentication flow to relink accounts used for payments or payouts.

[Relink for data products](https://docs.stripe.com/financial-connections/relink/api/data-products.md): Configure the authentication flow to relink accounts used to access data such as balances, transactions, and ownership.

[Stripe-hosted relink](https://docs.stripe.com/financial-connections/relink/hosted.md): Email your customer a link to a Stripe-hosted page to relink an account.