Welcome to the MSDN API Reference

This documentation provides a comprehensive guide to the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) APIs. Our APIs are designed to empower developers to integrate MSDN content and services into their applications, creating richer and more dynamic experiences for users.

Discover the power of MSDN APIs

Getting Started

Before you begin integrating with our APIs, we recommend familiarizing yourself with the following key concepts:

Authentication: Learn how to secure your API requests and identify your application. See Authentication for details.
Endpoints: Explore the various resources and operations available through our API. Refer to the Endpoints section for a complete list.
Data Formats: Our APIs primarily use JSON for request and response payloads.

Core Concepts

RESTful Design

The MSDN APIs are built following RESTful principles, utilizing standard HTTP methods (GET, POST, PUT, DELETE) and resources identified by unique URLs. This approach ensures consistency, scalability, and ease of integration.

Request and Response

Each API call involves sending a request to a specific endpoint and receiving a response containing the requested data or status information. Responses are typically returned in JSON format.

Base URL: https://api.msdn.microsoft.com/v1

Examples

Here's a basic example of a GET request to retrieve documentation articles:

GET https://api.msdn.microsoft.com/v1/articles?query=api-reference

A successful response might look like this:

{
    "count": 2,
    "articles": [
        {
            "id": "article-123",
            "title": "Introduction to MSDN APIs",
            "url": "/msdn/documentation/api-reference/introduction.html"
        },
        {
            "id": "article-456",
            "title": "API Reference: Authentication",
            "url": "/msdn/documentation/api-reference/authentication.html"
        }
    ]
}

Key Features

Comprehensive Documentation: Access detailed information about all available API endpoints, parameters, and response structures.
Powerful Search: Quickly find the information you need with our robust search capabilities.
Developer Resources: Utilize SDKs and code samples to accelerate your integration process.

We are continuously working to improve our APIs and documentation. Please refer to the Versioning section for information on API updates.

If you encounter any issues or have questions, please consult our Error Handling guide or reach out to our developer support.