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Documentation • Live on Bitcoin mainnet

Get started with ArkAPI.

No accounts, no API keys to manage. Fund a session with Bitcoin and start making calls.

Quick Start

1

Create a session:

curl -X POST https://arkapi.dev/v1/sessions

Returns a session token (ak_...) and a Lightning/Ark invoice.

2

Pay the invoice with any Lightning or Ark wallet. The session activates automatically once payment is confirmed.

3

Make API calls with your token:

curl -X POST https://arkapi.dev/api/dns-lookup \ -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_your_token" \ -d '{"domain":"example.com"}'

Authentication

Every API call requires a Bearer token in the Authorization header. Tokens start with ak_ and are returned when you create a session.

Check your balance

curl https://arkapi.dev/v1/balance \ -H "Authorization: Bearer ak_your_token"

Available Endpoints

Showing all endpoints.
No endpoints matched that search. Try bitcoin, translate, cve, or 1 sat.
EndpointCostDescription
/api/dns-lookup3 satsFull DNS records as structured JSON
/api/whois5 satsWHOIS data parsed into clean JSON
/api/ssl-check5 satsSSL certificate analysis
/api/headers3 satsHTTP security headers audit with score
/api/weather3 satsCurrent weather + 7-day forecast
/api/ip-lookup3 satsIP geolocation, ISP, ASN, approximate location, and Google Maps link
/api/ip-abuse-check4 satsAbuseIPDB reputation lookup with abuse confidence, report counts, and last reported time
/api/ip-intel6 satsCombined IP geolocation, ASN, abuse-desk RDAP contact when published, map link, AbuseIPDB reputation, and URLhaus host summary in one response
/api/email-auth-check4 satsSPF, DKIM, and DMARC posture check with an A-F grade
/api/axfr-check12 satsCheck whether a domain allows DNS zone transfer and return exposed AXFR records when available
/api/domain-intel25 satsAggregate DNS, WHOIS, TLS, headers, email auth, nameserver and mail host intel, parsed security.txt, parsed robots.txt, improved tech fingerprinting, http_behavior, CT-log subdomains, provider detection, and resolved IP intelligence, with optional ai_summary
/api/hash-crack25 satsRecover weak md5, sha1, sha256, or ntlm hashes using fasttrack mode only
/api/bitcoin-news2 satsLightweight GET endpoint for multi-source Bitcoin headlines with cross-feed dedupe and AI-assisted per-item sentiment; optional ?limit=5
/api/btc-whale-signal2 satsLightweight GET endpoint for BTC whale activity from public mempool.space on-chain data, including large-output counts, notable volume, latest block context, and top transactions
/api/ai-chat100 satsAnonymous AI chat with prompt or messages input
/api/ai-translate25 satsHigher-quality AI translation with optional style control
/api/image-generate25 satsAI image generation
/api/screenshot15 satsFull-page website screenshot
/api/qr-generate2 satsQR code generation from a data string
/api/bitcoin-address3 satsBitcoin address validation + balance
/api/btc-price1 satLightweight GET endpoint for live Bitcoin spot price and market stats; defaults to USD and accepts ?currency=USD or ?currencies=USD,EUR,CAD, plus an Alternative.me fear_greed snapshot
/api/cve-search4 satsSearch CVEs by keyword or product
/api/prediction-market-search4 satsSearch open Polymarket prediction markets and return normalized results
/api/remote-job-search3 satsLightweight GET endpoint for remote jobs from Remotive; accepts search, category, or company_name, with optional limit
/api/paste2 satsStore short-lived text or JSON and return a public scratchpad URL under /v1/p/{id}; accepts exactly one of content or json, plus optional ttl_seconds, burn_after_read, and max_views
/api/cve-lookup3 satsLook up a specific CVE by ID using cve
/api/translate3 satsText translation between languages
/api/domain-check3 satsDomain availability check
/api/url-to-markdown5 satsExtract clean Markdown from any public URL

Most endpoints accept POST with a JSON body unless the table says otherwise. See the live catalog for latest pricing.

Response Format

Every API response follows the same wrapper:

{ "success": true, "data": { ... }, "cost_sats": 3, "balance_remaining": 9997, "response_ms": 45, "endpoint": "/api/dns-lookup" }

On error, success is false and an error field describes the issue. Failed calls are not charged.

Featured Guide

Focused endpoint guides: Anonymous AI Chat API, AI Translate API, AXFR Check API, BTC Whale Signal API, CVE Search API, DNS Lookup API, Domain Intel API, Email Auth Check API, Headers Audit API, Hash Crack API, IP Abuse Check API, IP Intel API, Paste / Scratchpad API, Remote Job Search API, SSL Check API, URL to Markdown API, and WHOIS API.

Error Codes

FAQ

Is this on mainnet?
ArkAPI is currently live on Bitcoin mainnet. Sats are sats, not real Bitcoin.
Do I need an account?
No. Sessions are anonymous. Create a token, pay, and start making calls.
What happens when my balance runs out?
API calls return a 402 error. Create and fund a new session on the Fund page.
Can I get a refund?
Failed API calls are automatically refunded to your session balance. On Bitcoin, session balances are non-refundable — sats are free from the faucet.
What wallets work?
Any Lightning or Ark-compatible wallet. For testing on mainnet, use bark or other Lightning wallets.
Is there a rate limit?
Yes. The default limit is 60 requests per minute per session. Expensive endpoints have tighter per-token limits: image generation and screenshot are 5 per hour, and anonymous AI chat is 5 per day.
Can I publish my own API?
The Early Access program is currently the path for API publishers. Visit the page to request access and follow development.
How do I get Bitcoin sats?
Visit the Ark Faucet, enter your wallet address, and you'll receive free sats. Use those to fund an ArkAPI session on the Fund page.
Where can I read more about Ark?
Read the official Ark protocol docs at ark-protocol.org/intro/.