Documentation

This guide covers everything you need to know about using free public APIs listed in our directory.

Introduction

FWVAPI is a curated directory of free and open public APIs. Each entry includes authentication type, protocol, response format, rate limits, and category tags.

Quick Start

Pick an API from our catalog that does not require authentication:

curl -s "https://restcountries.com/v3.1/name/netherlands" | python3 -m json.tool

Authentication

Type	Description	Header Example
Free	No authentication required	`N/A`
API Key	Register for a free key	`X-API-Key: your_key`
OAuth	Standard OAuth 2.0 flow	`Authorization: Bearer token`

Making Requests

Method	Purpose	Example
`GET`	Retrieve data	`GET /api/v1/users`
`POST`	Create a resource	`POST /api/v1/users`
`PUT`	Update a resource	`PUT /api/v1/users/42`
`DELETE`	Remove a resource	`DELETE /api/v1/users/42`

Rate Limiting

X-RateLimit-Limit: 100
X-RateLimit-Remaining: 87
X-RateLimit-Reset: 1709856000
Retry-After: 30

Error Handling

Code	Meaning	Action
`200`	Success	Process the response
`400`	Bad Request	Check your parameters
`401`	Unauthorized	Verify your API key
`429`	Too Many Requests	Wait and retry with backoff
`500`	Server Error	Retry later

Pagination

Offset-based

GET /api/items?page=2&per_page=25

Cursor-based

GET /api/items?cursor=eyJpZCI6MTAwfQ&limit=25

cURL Examples

# Get current weather for Amsterdam
curl -s "https://api.open-meteo.com/v1/forecast?latitude=52.37&longitude=4.89&current_weather=true"

# Get a random user
curl -s "https://randomuser.me/api/" | python3 -m json.tool

Python Examples

import requests

response = requests.get("https://api.open-meteo.com/v1/forecast", params={
    "latitude": 52.37,
    "longitude": 4.89,
    "current_weather": True
})
data = response.json()
print(f"Temperature: {data['current_weather']['temperature']}C")

JavaScript Examples

const response = await fetch(
  "https://api.open-meteo.com/v1/forecast?latitude=52.37&longitude=4.89&current_weather=true"
);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(`Temperature: ${data.current_weather.temperature}C`);