tt-rss.github.io/docs/API-Reference.md

---
layout: default
title: API Reference
nav_order: 60
---

## Table of contents
{: .no_toc .text-delta }

- TOC
{:toc}

---

### Getting started

* The API is stateful. You'll need to login and maintain a session ID to perform further operations.
  The session ID should be specified using JSON parameter **sid**.  For example:
  * ```bash
    curl --json -d '{"sid":"your-session-id","op":"getVersion"}' http://example.com/tt-rss/api/

    # ... or for older curl versions:
    curl -H 'Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8' -d '{"sid":"your-session-id","op":"getVersion"}' http://example.com/tt-rss/api/
    ```
* All API calls output JSON.
* Parameters should be passed encoded using JSON in HTTP `POST` data.
  * Older versions allowed passing parameters using HTTP `GET` and `POST`, but this is no longer supported.
  * Clients **must** pass an appropriate `Content-Type` request header
    (e.g. `Content-Type: application/json; charset=utf-8`, `Content-Type: application/json`, etc.).
* The API can be enabled or disabled per-user in Preferences.
* The API is extensible.  Plugins can use <code>PluginHost#add_api_method()</code> to add custom API calls
  (see <code>classes/PluginHost.php</code> for details).

### Numeric values

Numbers can also be passed (and are sometimes returned) as quoted string literals, i.e. ``"0"``.

Some tt-rss versions have issues recognizing ``0`` as a valid number
(unimplemented strict type checking causes ``0`` to be equivalent to ``false``
in ``getHeadlines``, etc) so it might be a good idea to pass numerics as quoted
strings for better backwards compatibility.

### Boolean values

For boolean parameters the expected syntax is:

- empty string, numeric zero, unquoted ``false`` literal (?), string literal ``"f"`` or ``"false"``: <b>FALSE</b>
- anything else: <b>TRUE</b>

## Testing API calls (using curl)

```bash
curl --json -d '{"op":"login","user":"you","password":"xxx"}' http://example.com/tt-rss/api/
```

```bash
curl --json -d '{"sid":"...","op":"getHeadlines","feed_id":"0","is_cat":"1"}' http://example.com/tt-rss/api/
```

Most of the calls (except login, logout, isLoggedIn) require valid login session
or will return this error object: <code>{"error":"NOT_LOGGED_IN"}</code>

## Output format

All API methods return JSON data like this:

```json
{"seq":0,"status":0,"content":{"version":"1.4.3.1"}}
```

- seq (integer) is the sequence number supplied by client (``"seq":131``)
- status (integer) indicates whether request has been completed
  successfully, can be either 0 (API\_STATUS\_OK) or 1
  (API\_STATUS\_ERR)
- content is the actual reply content, as documented below in method
  descriptions.

### 1.4.3 and below (obsolete)

Methods return the "content" object below, sequence numbers and statuses
are not supported.

## Methods

### getApiLevel (since version:1.5.8, api level 1)

Return an abstracted integer API version level, increased with each API
functionality change. This is the proper way to detect host API
functionality, instead of using getVersion.

```json
{"level":1}
```

Whether tt-rss returns error for this method (e.g. version 1.5.7 and
below) client should assume API level 0.

### getVersion

Returns tt-rss version. As of, version:1.5.8 it is not recommended to
use this to detect API functionality, please use getApiLevel instead.

```json
{"version":"1.4.0"}
```

### login

Parameters:

- ``user`` (string)
- ``password`` (string)

Returns client session ID.

```json
{"session_id":"xxx"}
```

It can also return several error objects:

- If API is disabled for this user:
  <code>error: "API_DISABLED"</code>
- If specified username and password are incorrect:
  <code>error: "LOGIN_ERROR"</code>

In case it isn't immediately obvious, you have to login and get a
session ID even if you are using single user mode. You can omit user and
password parameters.

- On version:1.6.0 and above login also returns current API level as an
  <code>api\_level</code> integer, you can use that instead of calling `getApiLevel` after login.
- Since API 17, also returns configuration object (see [`getConfig`](#getconfig) below).

### logout

Closes your login session. Returns either status message <code>{"status":"OK"}</code> or an error (e.g. <code>{"error":"NOT_LOGGED_IN"}</code>)

### isLoggedIn

Returns a status message with boolean value showing whether your client (e.g.
specific session ID) is currently logged in.

```json
{"status":false}
```

### getUnread

Returns an integer value of currently unread articles.

```json
{"unread":"992"}
```

### getFeeds

Returns JSON-encoded list of feeds. The list includes category id,
title, feed url, etc.

Parameters:

- ``cat_id`` (integer) - return feeds under category cat\_id
- ``unread_only`` (bool) - only return feeds which have unread articles
- ``limit`` (integer) - limit amount of feeds returned to this value
- ``offset`` (integer) - skip this amount of feeds first
- ``include_nested`` (bool) - include child categories (as Feed objects with `is_cat` set) **requires version:1.6.0**

Pagination:

Limit and offset are useful if you need feedlist pagination. If you use
them, you shouldn’t filter by unread, handle filtering in your app
instead.

Special category IDs are as follows:

* 0 Uncategorized
* -1 Special (e.g. Starred, Published, Archived, etc.)
* -2 Labels

Added in version:1.5.0:

- -3 All feeds, excluding virtual feeds (e.g. Labels and such)
- -4 All feeds, including virtual feeds

Known bug: Prior to version:1.5.0 passing null or 0 cat\_id to this
method returns full list of feeds instead of Uncategorized feeds only.

### getCategories

Returns JSON-encoded list of categories with unread counts.

- ``unread_only`` (bool) - only return categories which have unread
    articles
- ``enable_nested`` (bool) - switch to nested mode, only returns topmost
    categories **requires version:1.6.0**
- ``include_empty`` (bool) - include empty categories **requires
    version:1.7.6**

Nested mode in this case means that a flat list of **only** topmost
categories is returned and unread counters include counters for child
categories.

This should be used as a starting point, to display a root list of all
(for backwards compatibility) or topmost categories, use [`getFeeds`](#getfeeds) to
traverse deeper.

### getHeadlines

Returns JSON-encoded list of headlines.

Parameters:

- ``feed_id`` (integer|string) - only output articles for this feed (supports string values to retrieve tag virtual feeds since API level 18, otherwise integer)
- ``limit`` (integer) - limits the amount of returned articles (see below)
- ``skip`` (integer) - skip this amount of feeds first
- ``filter`` (string) - currently unused (?)
- ``is_cat`` (bool) - requested `feed_id` is a category
- ``show_excerpt`` (bool) - include article excerpt in the output
- ``show_content`` (bool) - include full article text in the output
- ``view_mode`` (string = all\_articles, unread, adaptive, marked,
    updated)
- ``include_attachments`` (bool) - include article attachments (e.g.
    enclosures) **requires version:1.5.3**
- ``since_id`` (integer) - only return articles with id greater than
    ``since_id`` **requires version:1.5.6**
- ``include_nested`` (boolean) - include articles from child categories
    **requires version:1.6.0**
- ``order_by`` (string) - override default sort order **requires
    version:1.7.6**
- ``sanitize`` (bool) - sanitize content or not **requires version:1.8**
    (default:-true)
- ``force_update`` (bool) - try to update feed before showing headlines
    **requires version:1.14 (api 9)** (default: false)
- ``has_sandbox`` (bool) - indicate support for sandboxing of iframe
    elements **<span class="10 api"></span>** (default: false)
- ``include_header`` (bool) - adds status information when returning
    headlines, instead of array(articles) return value changes to
    array(header, array(articles)) (api 12)

Limit:

Before **API level 6** maximum amount of returned headlines is capped at
60, API 6 and above sets it to 200.

These parameters might change in the future (supported since **API level 2**):

- ``search`` (string) - search query (e.g. a list of keywords)
- ``search_mode`` (string) - `all_feeds`, `this_feed` (default), `this_cat` (category containing requested feed)
- ``match_on`` (string) - ignored

Special feed IDs are as follows:

- -1 starred
- -2 published
- -3 fresh
- -4 all articles
- 0 - archived
- IDs \< -10 labels

Sort order values:

- ``date_reverse`` - oldest first
- ``feed_dates`` - newest first, goes by feed date
- ``(nothing)`` - default

### updateArticle

Update information on specified articles.

Parameters:

- ``article_ids`` (comma-separated list of integers) - article IDs to
    operate on
- ``mode`` (integer) - type of operation to perform (0 - set to false, 1--
    set to true, 2 - toggle)
- ``field`` (integer) - field to operate on (0 - starred, 1 - published, 2 - unread, 3 - article note **since api level 1**)
- ``data`` (string) - optional data parameter when setting note field
    (since **api level 1**)

E.g. to set unread status of articles X and Y to false use the
following:

<code>?article\_ids=X,Y&mode=0&field=2</code>

Since version:1.5.0 returns a status message:

```json
{"status":"OK","updated":1}
```

“Updated” is number of articles updated by the query.

### getArticle

Requests JSON-encoded article object with specific ID.

- ``article_id`` (integer) - article ID to return **as of 15.10.2010
    git** or version:1.5.0 supports comma-separated list of IDs

Since version:1.4.3 also returns article attachments.

### getConfig

Returns tt-rss configuration parameters:

```json
{"icons_dir":"icons","icons_url":"icons","daemon_is_running":true,"num_feeds":71}
```

- ``icons_dir`` - path to icons on the server filesystem
- ``icons_url`` - path to icons when requesting them over http
- ``daemon_is_running`` - whether update daemon is running
- ``num_feeds`` - amount of subscribed feeds (this can be used to refresh
    feedlist when this amount changes)
- ``custom_sort_types`` - map of plugin-provided article sort types (API 17+)

### updateFeed

Tries to update specified feed. This operation is not performed in the
background, so it might take considerable time and, potentially, be
aborted by the HTTP server.

- ``feed_id`` (integer) - ID of feed to update

Returns status message if the operation has been completed.

```json
{"status":"OK"}
```

### getPref

Returns preference value of specified key.

- ``pref_name`` (string) - preference key to return value of

```json
{"value":true}
```

### catchupFeed

Required version: version:1.4.3

Tries to catchup (e.g. mark as read) specified feed.

Parameters:

- ``feed_id`` (integer) - ID of feed to update
- ``is_cat`` (boolean) - true if the specified feed\_id is a category
- ``mode`` (string) - optional: one of `all`, `1day`, `1week`, `2week`. defaults to `all`. **since api level 15**.

Returns status message if the operation has been completed.

```json
{"status":"OK"}
```

### getCounters

Required version: version:1.5.0

Returns a list of unread article counts for specified feed groups.

Parameters:

- ``output_mode`` (string) - Feed groups to return counters for

Output mode is a character string, comprising several letters (defaults
to “flc”):

- f - actual feeds
- l - labels
- c - categories
- t - tags

Several global counters are returned as well, those can’t be disabled
with output\_mode.

### getLabels (since API level 1)

Returns list of configured labels, as an array of label objects:

```json
{"id":2,"caption":"Debian","fg_color":"#e14a00","bg_color":"#ffffff","checked":false},
```

Before version:1.7.5

Returned id is an internal database id of the label, you can convert it
to the valid feed id like this:

<code>feed\_id = \-11 - label\_id</code>

After:

No conversion is necessary.

Parameters:

* ``article_id`` (int) - set “checked” to true if specified article id has returned label.

### setArticleLabel (since API level 1)

Assigns article\_ids to specified label.

Parameters:

* ``article_ids`` - comma-separated list of article ids
* ``label_id`` (int) - label id, as returned in getLabels
* ``assign`` (boolean) - assign or remove label

Note: Up until version:1.15 setArticleLabel() clears the label cache for
the specified articles. Make sure to regenerate it (e.g. by calling API
method getLabels() for the respecting articles) when you’re using
methods which don’t do that by themselves (e.g. getHeadlines())
otherwise getHeadlines() will not return labels for modified articles.

### shareToPublished (since API level 4 --version:1.6.0)

Creates an article with specified data in the Published feed.

Parameters:

* ``title`` - Article title (string)
* ``url`` - Article URL (string)
* ``content`` - Article content (string)
* ``sanitize`` (bool) - allows inserting HTML if disabled **requires API level 20** (default:-true)

### subscribeToFeed (API level 5 --version:1.7.6)

Subscribes to specified feed, returns a status code. See
subscribe\_to\_feed() in functions.php for details.

Parameters:

* ``feed_url`` - Feed URL (string)
* ``category_id`` - Category id to place feed into (defaults to 0, Uncategorized) (int)
* ``login``, ``password`` - Self explanatory (string)

### unsubscribeFeed (API level 5 --version:1.7.6)

Unsubscribes specified feed.

Parameters:

* ``feed_id`` - Feed id to unsubscribe from

### getFeedTree (API level 5 --version:1.7.6)

* ``include_empty`` (bool) - include empty categories

Returns full tree of categories and feeds.

Note: counters for most feeds are not returned with this call for
performance reasons.