 | This page is part of theMediaWiki REST API documentation. |
| MediaWiki REST API |
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Documentation Tutorials See also
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The MediaWikiREST API lets you interact with MediaWiki by sendingHTTP requests torest.php URLs.You can use the API to build apps and scripts that search and display wiki pages, get media files, and explore page history.
# Search English Wikipedia for an article about Earth$ curl"https://en.wikipedia.org/w/rest.php/v1/search/page?q=earth&limit=1"
REST API endpoints return data inJSON orHTML format.See theAPI reference for the content type supported by each endpoint.
The API supports standardHTTP request methods.
| GET | Retrieve resource |
|---|---|
| HEAD | ReturnHTTP headers for a GET request without response data |
| POST | Create resource |
| PUT | Update or create resource |
API endpoints share a consistent URL structure that includes the wiki's base URL, the wiki'sscript path, and the API version.
# URL structure[projecturl]/[scriptpath]/rest.php/v[versionnumber]/# Example URL: Get the history of the Main Page of English Wikipediahttps://en.wikipedia.org/w/rest.php/v1/page/Main_Page/history
Designed to provide long-term stability for developers, the MediaWiki REST API is versioned using a global version number in the API path (for example:/v1/).
For additional details about how versions and deprecations are managed for this API, seeAPI/Deprecation.
The REST API is designed to be used with theOAuth extension for user authentication and authorisation.However, regardless of the authentication method, the API responds to the presence of a logged-in user and returns content appropriate to that user's permissions.
You can use the REST API to accessWikipedia,Wiktionary, and other Wikimedia projects in multiple languages.For a complete list of Wikimedia project URLs, seeMeta-Wiki’s site matrix.
There is no fixed limit on requests to the API, but your client may be blocked if you endanger the stability of a site.To stay within a safe request rate, wait for each request to finish before sending another request.
Wikimedia sites require an HTTP User-Agent header for all API requests.This helps identify your app and ensures that system administrators can contact you if a problem arises.Clients making requests without a User-Agent header may be IP-blocked without notice.
The User-Agent header can include a user page on the local wiki, a user page on a related wiki usinginterwiki linking syntax, a URL for a relevant external website, or an email address.
# Preferred format for User-Agent headers<clientname>/<version>(<contactinformation>)<library/frameworkname>/<version>
If you are calling the API from browser-based JavaScript, you may not be able to influence the User-Agent header, depending on the browser.To work around this, use the Api-User-Agent header.See theUser-Agent policy for more information.
To authorise your app to act on behalf of a user, follow theOAuth developer guide to register your app and make requests using OAuth tokens.
Wikimedia content is free to reuse within the terms specified by the applicable license.Licenses can differ between projects, so see the individual project for information about licenses and content reuse.For example, English Wikipedia’s text can be used under the terms of theCreative Commons Attribution Share-Alike license, while media files onWikimedia Commons are licensed individually as indicated on the file’s information page.For more information about licensing and trademark use, seeMeta-Wiki’s developer app guidelines.
While the REST API is available on Wikimedia projects, it is not fully supported by Wikidata.As of writing, some of the endpoints may return unexpected errors.Instead, use theWikidata REST API.
MediaWiki extensions can provide extension-specific API endpoints using the REST API interface.See theREST API extension interface docs to get started.REST API-extension gränssnittet finns tillgängligt i $1 via $2 och iMediaWiki 1.35 och senare som standard.
| API | Availability | URL base | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
 MediaWiki Action API | Included with MediaWiki Enabled onWikimedia projects | /api.php | https://en.wikipedia.org/w/api.php?action=query&prop=info&titles=Earth |
| MediaWiki REST API | Included with MediaWiki 1.35+ Enabled onWikimedia projects | /rest.php | https://en.wikipedia.org/w/rest.php/v1/page/Earth |
 Wikimedia REST API | Not included with MediaWiki Available forWikimedia projects only | /api/rest | https://en.wikipedia.org/api/rest_v1/page/title/Earth |
 For commercial-scale APIs for Wikimedia projects, seeWikimedia Enterprise | |||
These docs are written manually based on theMediaWiki Core source code.Corrections and additions are welcome!To share a tutorial or app that uses the MediaWiki REST API, add a link to theREST API template.