6 The Friendica API aims to be compatible with the [GNU Social API](http://wiki.gnusocial.de/gnusocial:api) and the [Twitter API](https://dev.twitter.com/rest/public).
8 Please refer to the linked documentation for further information.
10 ## Implemented API calls
15 API endpoints can restrict the method used to request them.
16 Using an invalid method results in HTTP error 405 "Method Not Allowed".
18 In this document, the required method is listed after the endpoint name. "*" means every method can be used.
22 Friendica supports basic http auth and OAuth 1 to authenticate the user to the api.
24 OAuth settings can be added by the user in web UI under /settings/oauth/
26 In this document, endpoints which requires auth are marked with "AUTH" after endpoint name
28 #### Unsupported parameters
29 * cursor: Not implemented in GNU Social
30 * trim_user: Not implemented in GNU Social
31 * contributor_details: Not implemented in GNU Social
32 * place_id: Not implemented in GNU Social
33 * display_coordinates: Not implemented in GNU Social
35 * include_my_retweet: Retweets in Friendica are implemented in a different way
37 #### Different behaviour
38 * screen_name: The nick name in friendica is only unique in each network but not for all networks. The users are searched in the following priority: Friendica, StatusNet/GNU Social, Diaspora, pump.io, Twitter. If no contact was found by this way, then the first contact is taken.
39 * include_entities: Default is "false". If set to "true" then the plain text is formatted so that links are having descriptions.
42 * cid: Contact id of the user (important for "contact_allow" and "contact_deny")
43 * network: network of the user
46 When an error occurs in API call, an HTTP error code is returned, with an error message
48 - 400 Bad Request: if parameters are missing or items can't be found
49 - 403 Forbidden: if the authenticated user is missing
50 - 405 Method Not Allowed: if API was called with an invalid method, eg. GET when API require POST
51 - 501 Not Implemented: if the requested API doesn't exist
52 - 500 Internal Server Error: on other error conditions
59 "error": "Specific error message",
60 "request": "API path requested",
61 "code": "HTTP error code"
68 <error>Specific error message</error>
69 <request>API path requested</request>
70 <code>HTTP error code</code>
75 ### account/rate_limit_status (*; AUTH)
78 ### account/verify_credentials (*; AUTH)
81 * skip_status: Don't show the "status" field. (Default: false)
82 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
85 ### conversation/show (*; AUTH)
86 Unofficial Twitter command. It shows all direct answers (excluding the original post) to a given id.
90 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
92 * since_id: minimum id
94 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
96 #### Unsupported parameters
102 ### direct_messages (*; AUTH)
104 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
106 * since_id: minimum id
108 * getText: Defines the format of the status field. Can be "html" or "plain"
109 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
110 * friendica_verbose: "true" enables different error returns (default: "false")
112 #### Unsupported parameters
116 ### direct_messages/all (*; AUTH)
118 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
120 * since_id: minimum id
122 * getText: Defines the format of the status field. Can be "html" or "plain"
123 * friendica_verbose: "true" enables different error returns (default: "false")
126 ### direct_messages/conversation (*; AUTH)
127 Shows all direct messages of a conversation
129 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
131 * since_id: minimum id
133 * getText: Defines the format of the status field. Can be "html" or "plain"
134 * uri: URI of the conversation
135 * friendica_verbose: "true" enables different error returns (default: "false")
138 ### direct_messages/sent (*; AUTH)
140 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
142 * since_id: minimum id
144 * getText: Defines the format of the status field. Can be "html" or "plain"
145 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
146 * friendica_verbose: "true" enables different error returns (default: "false")
149 ### direct_messages/new (POST,PUT; AUTH)
151 * user_id: id of the user
152 * screen_name: screen name (for technical reasons, this value is not unique!)
154 * replyto: ID of the replied direct message
155 * title: Title of the direct message
158 ### direct_messages/destroy (POST,DELETE; AUTH)
160 * id: id of the message to be deleted
161 * include_entities: optional, currently not yet implemented
162 * friendica_parenturi: optional, can be used for increased safety to delete only intended messages
163 * friendica_verbose: "true" enables different error returns (default: "false")
168 * JSON return as defined for Twitter API not yet implemented
169 * on friendica_verbose=true: JSON return {"result":"ok","message":"message deleted"}
173 * on friendica_verbose=true: different JSON returns {"result":"error","message":"xyz"}
176 ### externalprofile/show (*)
178 * profileurl: profile url
181 ### favorites (*; AUTH)
183 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
185 * since_id: minimum id
187 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
189 #### Unsupported parameters
193 Favorites aren't displayed to other users, so "user_id" and "screen_name" are unsupported.
194 Set this values will result in an empty array.
197 ### favorites/create (POST,PUT; AUTH)
200 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
203 ### favorites/destroy (POST,DELETE; AUTH)
206 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
209 ### followers/ids (*; AUTH)
211 * stringify_ids: Send id numbers as text (true) or integers (false)? (default: false)
213 #### Unsupported parameters
218 Friendica doesn't allow showing the followers of other users.
221 ### friends/ids (*; AUTH)
223 * stringify_ids: Send the id numbers as text (true) or integers (false)? (default: false)
225 #### Unsupported parameters
230 Friendica doesn't allow showing the friends of other users.
236 ### media/upload (POST,PUT; AUTH)
241 ### oauth/request_token (*)
245 #### Unsupported parameters
249 ### oauth/access_token (*)
253 #### Unsupported parameters
259 ### statuses/destroy (POST,DELETE; AUTH)
262 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
264 #### Unsupported parameters
268 ### statuses/followers (*; AUTH)
272 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
275 ### statuses/friends (*; AUTH)
279 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
282 ### statuses/friends_timeline (*; AUTH)
284 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
286 * since_id: minimum id
288 * exclude_replies: don't show replies (default: false)
289 * conversation_id: Shows all statuses of a given conversation.
290 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
292 #### Unsupported parameters
295 * contributor_details
298 ### statuses/home_timeline (*; AUTH)
300 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
302 * since_id: minimum id
304 * exclude_replies: don't show replies (default: false)
305 * conversation_id: Shows all statuses of a given conversation.
306 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
308 #### Unsupported parameters
311 * contributor_details
314 ### statuses/mentions (*; AUTH)
316 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
318 * since_id: minimum id
320 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
322 #### Unsupported parameters
325 * contributor_details
328 ### statuses/public_timeline (*; AUTH)
330 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
332 * since_id: minimum id
334 * exclude_replies: don't show replies (default: false)
335 * conversation_id: Shows all statuses of a given conversation.
336 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
338 #### Unsupported parameters
342 ### statuses/networkpublic_timeline (*; AUTH)
344 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
346 * since_id: minimum id
348 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
351 ### statuses/replies (*; AUTH)
353 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
355 * since_id: minimum id
357 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
359 #### Unsupported parameters
362 * contributor_details
365 ### statuses/retweet (POST,PUT; AUTH)
368 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
370 #### Unsupported parameters
374 ### statuses/show (*; AUTH)
377 * conversation: if set to "1" show all messages of the conversation with the given id
378 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
380 #### Unsupported parameters
385 ### statuses/update, statuses/update_with_media
387 * title: Title of the status
388 * status: Status in text format
389 * htmlstatus: Status in HTML format
390 * in_reply_to_status_id
394 * source: Application name
400 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
401 * media_ids: (By now only a single value, no array)
403 #### Unsupported parameters
406 * display_coordinates
409 ### statuses/user_timeline (*; AUTH)
411 * user_id: id of the user
412 * screen_name: screen name (for technical reasons, this value is not unique!)
413 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
415 * since_id: minimum id
417 * exclude_replies: don't show replies (default: false)
418 * conversation_id: Shows all statuses of a given conversation.
419 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
421 #### Unsupported parameters
425 * contributor_details
428 ### statusnet/config (*)
431 ### statusnet/conversation (*; AUTH)
432 It shows all direct answers (excluding the original post) to a given id.
436 * count: Items per page (default: 20)
438 * since_id: minimum id
440 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
443 ### statusnet/version (*)
445 #### Unsupported parameters
450 Friendica doesn't allow showing followers of other users.
455 * q: name of the user
457 #### Unsupported parameters
465 * user_id: id of the user
466 * screen_name: screen name (for technical reasons, this value is not unique!)
467 * include_entities: "true" shows entities for pictures and links (Default: false)
469 #### Unsupported parameters
474 Friendica doesn't allow showing friends of other users.
478 ### account/update_profile_image (POST; AUTH)
480 * image: image data as base64 (Twitter has a limit of 700kb, Friendica allows more)
481 * profile_id (optional): id of the profile for which the image should be used, default is changing the default profile
483 uploads a new profile image (scales 4-6) to database, changes default or specified profile to the new photo
488 * JSON return: returns the updated user details (see account/verify_credentials)
491 * 403 FORBIDDEN: if not authenticated
492 * 400 BADREQUEST: "no media data submitted", "profile_id not available"
493 * 500 INTERNALSERVERERROR: "image size exceeds PHP config settings, file was rejected by server",
494 "image size exceeds Friendica Config setting (uploaded size: x)",
495 "unable to process image data",
496 "image upload failed"
499 ## Implemented API calls (not compatible with other APIs)
503 ### friendica/activity/<verb>
507 Add or remove an activity from an item.
508 'verb' can be one of:
516 To remove an activity, prepend the verb with "un", eg. "unlike" or "undislike"
517 Attend verbs disable eachother: that means that if "attendyes" was added to an item, adding "attendno" remove previous "attendyes".
518 Attend verbs should be used only with event-related items (there is no check at the moment)
533 ### friendica/group_show (*; AUTH)
534 Return all or a specified group of the user with the containing contacts as array.
537 * gid: optional, if not given, API returns all groups of the user
542 * name: name of the group
543 * gid: id of the group
544 * user: array of group members (return from api_get_user() function for each member)
548 ### friendica/group_delete (POST,DELETE; AUTH)
549 delete the specified group of contacts; API call need to include the correct gid AND name of the group to be deleted.
552 * gid: id of the group to be deleted
553 * name: name of the group to be deleted
558 * success: true if successfully deleted
559 * gid: gid of the deleted group
560 * name: name of the deleted group
561 * status: „deleted“ if successfully deleted
562 * wrong users: empty array
566 ### friendica/group_create (POST,PUT; AUTH)
567 Create the group with the posted array of contacts as members.
570 * name: name of the group to be created
573 JSON data as Array like the result of "users/group_show":
582 * success: true if successfully created or reactivated
583 * gid: gid of the created group
584 * name: name of the created group
585 * status: „missing user“ | „reactivated“ | „ok“
586 * wrong users: array of users, which were not available in the contact table
590 ### friendica/group_update (POST)
591 Update the group with the posted array of contacts as members (post all members of the group to the call; function will remove members not posted).
594 * gid: id of the group to be changed
595 * name: name of the group to be changed
598 JSON data as array like the result of „users/group_show“:
607 * success: true if successfully updated
608 * gid: gid of the changed group
609 * name: name of the changed group
610 * status: „missing user“ | „ok“
611 * wrong users: array of users, which were not available in the contact table
616 ### friendica/notifications (GET)
617 Return last 50 notification for current user, ordered by date with unseen item on top
626 * type: type of notification as int (see NOTIFY_* constants in boot.php)
627 * name: full name of the contact subject of the note
628 * url: contact's profile url
629 * photo: contact's profile photo
630 * date: datetime string of the note
631 * timestamp: timestamp of the node
632 * date_rel: relative date of the note (eg. "1 hour ago")
633 * msg: note message in bbcode
634 * msg_html: note message in html
635 * msg_plain: note message in plain text
637 * seen: seen state: 0 or 1
641 ### friendica/notifications/seen (POST)
642 Set note as seen, returns item object if possible
645 id: id of the note to set seen
648 If the note is linked to an item, the item is returned, just like one of the "statuses/*_timeline" api.
650 If the note is not linked to an item, a success status is returned:
652 * "success" (json) | <status>success</status>;" (xml)
656 ### friendica/photo (*; AUTH)
658 * photo_id: Resource id of a photo.
659 * scale: (optional) scale value of the photo
661 Returns data of a picture with the given resource.
662 If 'scale' isn't provided, returned data include full url to each scale of the photo.
663 If 'scale' is set, returned data include image data base64 encoded.
665 possibile scale value are:
667 * 0: original or max size by server settings
668 * 1: image with or height at <= 640
669 * 2: image with or height at <= 320
670 * 3: thumbnail 160x160
671 * 4: Profile image at 175x175
672 * 5: Profile image at 80x80
673 * 6: Profile image at 48x48
675 An image used as profile image has only scale 4-6, other images only 0-3
683 "created": "date(YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)",
684 "edited": "date(YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)",
685 "title": "photo title",
686 "desc": "photo description",
687 "album": "album name",
688 "filename": "original file name",
692 "profile": "1 if is profile photo",
694 "<scale>": "url to image"
698 "datasize": "size in byte",
699 "data": "base64 encoded image data"
707 <created>date(YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)</created>
708 <edited>date(YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS)</edited>
709 <title>photo title</title>
710 <desc>photo description</desc>
711 <album>album name</album>
712 <filename>original file name</filename>
713 <type>mime type</type>
714 <height>number</height>
715 <width>number</width>
716 <profile>1 if is profile photo</profile>
718 <link type="mime type" scale="scale number" href="image url"/>
725 ### friendica/photos/list (*; AUTH)
727 Returns a list of all photo resources of the logged in user.
737 filename: "original file name",
738 type: "image mime type",
739 thumb: "url to thumb sized image"
747 <photos type="array">
748 <photo id="resource_id"
750 filename="original file name"
751 type="image mime type">
752 "url to thumb sized image"
759 ### friendica/photoalbum/delete (POST,DELETE; AUTH)
761 * album: name of the album to be deleted
763 deletes all images with the specified album name, is not reversible -> ensure that client is asking user for being sure to do this
768 * JSON return {"result":"deleted","message":"album 'xyz' with all containing photos has been deleted."}
771 * 403 FORBIDDEN: if not authenticated
772 * 400 BADREQUEST: "no albumname specified", "album not available"
773 * 500 INTERNALSERVERERROR: "problem with deleting item occured", "unknown error - deleting from database failed"
777 ### friendica/photoalbum/update (POST,PUT; AUTH)
779 * album: name of the album to be updated
780 * album_new: new name of the album
782 changes the album name to album_new for all photos in album
787 * JSON return {"result":"updated","message":"album 'abc' with all containing photos has been renamed to 'xyz'."}
790 * 403 FORBIDDEN: if not authenticated
791 * 400 BADREQUEST: "no albumname specified", "no new albumname specified", "album not available"
792 * 500 INTERNALSERVERERROR: "unknown error - updating in database failed"
796 ### friendica/photo/create (POST; AUTH)
797 ### friendica/photo/update (POST; AUTH)
799 * photo_id (optional): if specified the photo with this id will be updated
800 * media (optional): image data as base64, only optional if photo_id is specified (new upload must have media)
801 * desc (optional): description for the photo, updated when photo_id is specified
802 * album: name of the album to be deleted (always necessary)
803 * album_new (optional): can be used to change the album of a single photo if photo_id is specified
804 * allow_cid/allow_gid/deny_cid/deny_gid (optional): on create: empty string or omitting = public photo, specify in format '```<x><y><z>```' for private photo;
805 on update: keys need to be present with empty values for changing a private photo to public
807 both calls point to one function for creating AND updating photos.
808 Saves data for the scales 0-2 to database (see above for scale description).
809 Call adds non-visible entries to items table to enable authenticated contacts to comment/like the photo.
810 Client should pay attention to the fact that updated access rights are not transferred to the contacts. i.e. public photos remain publicly visible if they have been commented/liked before setting visibility back to a limited group.
811 Currently it is best to inform user that updating rights is not the right way to do this, and offer a solution to add photo as a new photo with the new rights instead.
816 * new photo uploaded: JSON return with photo data (see friendica/photo)
817 * photo updated - changed photo data: JSON return with photo data (see friendica/photo)
818 * photo updated - changed info: JSON return {"result":"updated","message":"Image id 'xyz' has been updated."}
819 * photo updated - nothing changed: JSON return {"result":"cancelled","message":"Nothing to update for image id 'xyz'."}
822 * 403 FORBIDDEN: if not authenticated
823 * 400 BADREQUEST: "no albumname specified", "no media data submitted", "photo not available", "acl data invalid"
824 * 500 INTERNALSERVERERROR: "image size exceeds PHP config settings, file was rejected by server",
825 "image size exceeds Friendica Config setting (uploaded size: x)",
826 "unable to process image data",
827 "image upload failed",
828 "unknown error - uploading photo failed, see Friendica log for more information",
829 "unknown error - update photo entry in database failed",
830 "unknown error - this error on uploading or updating a photo should never happen"
834 ### friendica/photo/delete (DELETE; AUTH)
836 * photo_id: id of the photo to be deleted
838 deletes a single image with the specified id, is not reversible -> ensure that client is asking user for being sure to do this
839 Sets item table entries for this photo to deleted = 1
844 * JSON return {"result":"deleted","message":"photo with id 'xyz' has been deleted from server."}
847 * 403 FORBIDDEN: if not authenticated
848 * 400 BADREQUEST: "no photo_id specified", "photo not available"
849 * 500 INTERNALSERVERERROR: "unknown error on deleting photo", "problem with deleting items occurred"
853 ### friendica/direct_messages_setseen (GET; AUTH)
855 * id: id of the message to be updated as seen
860 * JSON return {"result":"ok","message":"message set to seen"}
863 * different JSON returns {"result":"error","message":"xyz"}
866 ### friendica/direct_messages_search (GET; AUTH)
868 * searchstring: string for which the API call should search as '%searchstring%' in field 'body' of all messages of the authenticated user (caption ignored)
871 Returns only tested with JSON, XML might work as well.
874 * JSON return {"success":"true","search_results": array of found messages}
875 * JSOn return {"success":"false","search_results":"nothing found"}
878 * different JSON returns {"result":"error","message":"searchstring not specified"}
881 ### friendica/profile/show (GET; AUTH)
882 show data of all profiles or a single profile of the authenticated user
885 * profile_id: id of the profile to be returned (optional, if omitted all profiles are returned by default)
888 On success: Array of:
890 * multi_profiles: true if user has activated multi_profiles
891 * global_dir: URL of the global directory set in server settings
892 * friendica_owner: user data of the authenticated user
893 * profiles: array of the profile data
896 HTTP 403 Forbidden: when no authentication was provided
897 HTTP 400 Bad Request: if given profile_id is not in the database or is not assigned to the authenticated user
899 General description of profile data in API returns:
902 * is_default: true if this is the public profile
903 * hide_friends: true if friends are hidden
906 * publish: true if published on the server's local directory
907 * net_publish: true if published to global_dir
908 * description ... homepage: different data fields from 'profile' table in database
909 * users: array with the users allowed to view this profile (empty if is_default=true)
913 ## Not Implemented API calls
914 The following API calls are implemented in GNU Social but not in Friendica: (incomplete)
916 * statuses/retweets_of_me
918 * friendships/destroy
921 * account/update_profile_background_image
925 The following API calls from the Twitter API are not implemented in either Friendica or GNU Social:
927 * statuses/mentions_timeline
928 * statuses/retweets/:id
930 * statuses/retweeters/ids
932 * direct_messages/show
934 * friendships/no_retweets/ids
935 * friendships/incoming
936 * friendships/outgoing
941 * account/update_delivery_device
942 * account/update_profile
943 * account/update_profile_background_image
949 * account/remove_profile_banner
950 * account/update_profile_banner
951 * users/profile_banner
953 * mutes/users/destroy
956 * users/suggestions/:slug
958 * users/suggestions/:slug/members
962 * lists/members/destroy
965 * lists/subscribers/create
966 * lists/subscribers/show
967 * lists/subscribers/destroy
968 * lists/members/create_all
971 * lists/members/create
976 * lists/subscriptions
977 * lists/members/destroy_all
979 * saved_searches/list
980 * saved_searches/show/:id
981 * saved_searches/create
982 * saved_searches/destroy/:id
984 * geo/reverse_geocode
1003 /usr/bin/curl -u USER:PASS https://YOUR.FRIENDICA.TLD/api/statuses/update.xml -d source="some source id" -d status="the status you want to post"
1006 The [RSStoFriedika](https://github.com/pafcu/RSStoFriendika) code can be used as an example of how to use the API with python.
1007 The lines for posting are located at [line 21](https://github.com/pafcu/RSStoFriendika/blob/master/RSStoFriendika.py#L21) and following.
1009 def tweet(server, message, group_allow=None):
1010 url = server + '/api/statuses/update'
1011 urllib2.urlopen(url, urllib.urlencode({'status': message,'group_allow[]':group_allow}, doseq=True))
1013 There is also a [module for python 3](https://bitbucket.org/tobiasd/python-friendica) for using the API.