REST API Quickstart

Call Cite42 directly over HTTP. One base URL, a Bearer key, JSON in and out. Query AI search, SEO keywords, trends, workflows, and recurring trackers.

Base URL

All requests go to:

https://www.cite42.dev/api/v1

Authenticate with a Bearer token on every request (see Authentication). The same cite42_live_ key works for both REST and MCP.

Make your first call

One call across the default AI surfaces: pick your language:

1
Get your API key
- Create a Cite42 account or log in.
- Open the API keys page and create a key. It's shown once, so copy it now; you'll send it as a Bearer token on every request.

Make the call

One POST queries the default AI surfaces and returns each answer with its sources.

# One POST queries the default AI surfaces: answer + sources each.
$ curl https://www.cite42.dev/api/v1/search \
   -H "Authorization: Bearer $CITE42_API_KEY" \
   -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
   -d '{ "query": "best startup CRM" }'

# Response: one entry per model, plus a billing block:
{
  "results": [
    { "model": "chatgpt", "ok": true, "answer": "...",
      "citations": [{ "url": "reddit.com/r/SaaS/..." }] }
    /* ...claude, perplexity, gemini... */
  ],
  "billing": { "cost": { "usd": "0.20" }, "balance": { "usd": "24.60" } }
}

Every billed response includes a billing block with the exact cost and remaining balance. See Search for the full response shape.

Tools

Five AI-model tools (billed per model queried): search, rankings, compare, citations, sentiment. Plus data tools billed once per call (keywords, trends, Reddit Trends, YouTube Trends), workflow contracts, and a free usage. To repeat rankings, comparisons, citations, or sentiment on a weekly or monthly schedule, use the Tracker API. Pick a page from the sidebar for its parameters and examples.