The Stack Exchange API is based on standard HTTP and URLs, just like the web page you're browsing now. Except instead of HTML, the responses are all in [JSON][json].

Let's say we wanted to call the **stats** method:

**[`http://api.stackoverflow.com/0.8/stats`][stats]**

   - api.stackoverflow.com - the site to query
   - 0.8 - the api version
   - stats - the method

The response:

    {
      "statistics": [
        {
          "total_questions": 680175,
          "total_unanswered": 104562,
          "total_answers": 1910940,
          "total_comments": 2678849,
          "total_votes": 6720440,
          "total_badges": 688675,
          "total_users": 242593,
          "questions_per_minute": 1.75,
          "answers_per_minute": 3.76,
          "badges_per_minute": 1.55,
          "api_version": {
            "version": "0.8",
            "revision": "1.0.1234.5678"
          }
        }
      ]
    }

(for a full list of possible API methods, refer to the [documentation][docs].)

##Do I need an API key?

A single IP address can only make a limited number of requests per day to the API.  This limit is determined at *first request* time, and is dependent upon the presence of an API key.

API daily limits:  

 - Key: 10,000
 - No Key: 300

The `No Key` limit is meant to facilitate experimentation, not for deployed apps.

Requests with invalid or revoked keys are not completed, they are not stepped down to the `No Key` limit.

For further discussion of keys, refer to [this question][1].

##[Register for an API Key][key]

<br>

##How do I announce my application, library, or wrapper?

Create a question here and tag it `[app]` or `[library]`. Please refer to [How to list your application on Stack Apps][2] for suggested formatting.

  [docs]: http://stackapps.com/questions/1/api-documentation-and-help
  [key]: http://stackapps.com/apps/register
  [statshelp]: http://api.stackoverflow.com/0.8/stats?help
  [stats]: http://api.stackoverflow.com/0.8/stats
  [json]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSON


  [1]: http://stackapps.com/questions/67/how-api-keys-work
  [2]: http://stackapps.com/questions/7/how-to-list-your-application-on-stack-apps