> **For coding agents and LLMs:** This is one page from the Social Fetch docs (markdown export). For curated orientation and workflow guidance, start with [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt); for agent onboarding and crawl rules, use [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt); for the full endpoint list with links to pages like this one, use [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt); for one platform's parameters and curls, use [`/llms-{platform}.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-tiktok.txt); use [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) when you need structured JSON for tool registration.

## This page

- **On-site (HTML):** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/monitors/post](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/monitors/post)
- **Markdown (.mdx) URL:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/monitors/post.mdx](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/monitors/post.mdx)

## API base URL and authentication

- **API origin (from OpenAPI `servers`):** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`
- **Authentication:** send `x-api-key: sfk_...` on `/v1/**` routes unless the operation is explicitly anonymous (check OpenAPI `security`, the [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx), [`/llms.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.txt), or [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) for each route).
- **OpenAPI JSON:** [https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json](https://www.socialfetch.dev/openapi.json)

## Recommended docs entrypoints (this site)

- [Documentation overview](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs.mdx) — top-level orientation (markdown).
- [Quickstart](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/quickstart.mdx) — authenticate with `x-api-key`, validate auth with `whoami`, and understand the JSON envelope.
- [SDK](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk.mdx) — official TypeScript SDK guide, including `SocialFetchClient`, `Result`, and `unwrap()`.
- [SDK reference](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/sdk-reference.mdx) — exhaustive SDK method inventory and route mapping for agents, tooling, and power users.
- [Choose the right endpoint](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/choose-endpoint.mdx) — task-oriented route selection for smoke tests, profiles, list endpoints, and single-item lookups.
- [Capability matrix](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/capability-matrix.mdx) — fast comparison of identifiers, pagination, outcomes, media download, and SDK coverage.
- [Recipes](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/recipes.mdx) — copyable workflows (brand monitoring, transcripts, Ad Library, creator scoring, Reddit research) with credit callouts and SDK examples.
- [Integrations](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations.mdx) — MCP for AI clients, n8n verified node, Apify Store Actors, SDK, and REST API connection paths.
- [MCP product page](https://www.socialfetch.dev/mcp) — hosted MCP overview, OAuth, Skills install.
- [MCP integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/mcp.mdx) — hosted `/mcp` server, OAuth, Cursor/VS Code/Claude install snippets, 162 endpoint tools, plus docs_search/docs_read for implementation help.
- [n8n integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/n8n.mdx) — install `n8n-nodes-socialfetch`, credentials, and workflow examples.
- [Apify integration](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/integrations/apify.mdx) — Store Actors under @social-fetch, PPE billing, dataset export, and quick start.
- [`/llms-endpoints.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-endpoints.txt) — every documented operation with a direct link to that route's agent-readable markdown page (prefer this over parsing OpenAPI).
- [`/llms-{platform}.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms-tiktok.txt) — per-platform endpoint files generated from OpenAPI (parameters, credits, curls).
- [`/agents.txt`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/agents.txt) — agent crawl/onboarding file with capabilities, auth rules, and allowlist.
- [`/llms.json`](https://www.socialfetch.dev/llms.json) — structured machine-readable operation inventory with parameter names, pagination, outcomes, credits, and SDK mapping.
- [API reference hub](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api.mdx) — human-friendly index of operations with links into generated pages.
- [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) — shared error envelope and HTTP status guidance.
- [Credits](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/credits.mdx) — metering, `402`, and planning batch jobs.
- Outcome semantics such as `found`, `not_found`, and `private` are documented in [Errors](https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/errors.mdx) and on operation pages when present in the OpenAPI contract.

## Markdown docs convention

- Every docs page has a markdown twin: append **`.mdx`** to the docs pathname (for example `/docs/quickstart` → `/docs/quickstart.mdx`).
- Agents that send `Accept: text/markdown` on `/docs/**` HTML URLs may receive markdown directly (same URL, `Vary: Accept`).

---
# Create a monitor (https://www.socialfetch.dev/docs/api/v1/monitors/post)

## Summary

Create a monitor that polls a watchable source on a schedule.

**Tags:** `Monitors`

## HTTP

- **Method:** POST
- **Path:** `/v1/monitors`
- **Base URL:** `https://api.socialfetch.dev`

## Capability summary

- **SDK mapping:** HTTP only today
- **Pagination:** none

## Credits

- **Base:** 0 credits per successful lookup.
- **Maximum on success (200):** 0 credits.
- **Normalization failure (502):** 0 credits charged.
- **Authoritative field:** `meta.creditsCharged`.

## Authentication

- **`x-api-key`**: API key (`sfk_...`)

## Parameters

### `dryRun` (query)

- **Required:** no
- **Constraints:** type `boolean`
- **Description:** When true, validates the monitor and returns a cost preview without creating anything or running the baseline check.

## Request body

- **Required:** no; content type `application/json`

**Shape:**

- **name** (optional) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Optional display name for the monitor. A default is generated from the source and params when omitted.
- **operationId** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Watchable public API operation id to poll. See GET /v1/monitors/sources.
- **params** (required) — type `object`. Parameters for the watched operation.
- **schedule** (required). Polling schedule for a monitor: a fixed interval or a cron expression.
- **webhookEndpointId** (optional) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Existing webhook endpoint id (owned by this account) to deliver events to. Mutually exclusive with `webhook`.
- **webhook** (optional) — type `object`. Create a new webhook endpoint inline for this monitor. Mutually exclusive with `webhookEndpointId`.
  - **url** (required) — type `string`. HTTPS URL to deliver events to.
- **spendCapCredits** (optional) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Optional monthly credit spend cap for this monitor.

**Example:**

```json
{
  "name": "string",
  "operationId": "string",
  "params": {},
  "schedule": null,
  "webhookEndpointId": "string",
  "webhook": {
    "url": "string"
  },
  "spendCapCredits": 0
}
```

## Responses (status codes)

- **201**: The newly created monitor.
- **400**: Invalid schedule, unknown source, invalid params, plan limit exceeded, or invalid webhook URL.
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key
- **403**: The given webhook endpoint is not owned by this account, or the account has never purchased a credit pack or held a subscription (Monitors isn't available on free trial credits alone).
- **500**: Unexpected error

## Response body (201)

The newly created monitor.

### Field outline

- **data** (required) — type `object`. Endpoint-specific response payload.
  - **id** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Stable identifier for the monitor.
  - **name** (required) — type `string`. Display name for the monitor.
  - **operationId** (required) — type `string`. Watchable public API operation this monitor polls.
  - **params** (required) — type `object`. Canonicalized parameters used for each poll.
  - **schedule** (required). Polling schedule for a monitor: a fixed interval or a cron expression.
  - **nextRunAt** (required) — type `string`. ISO-8601 timestamp for the monitor's next scheduled poll.
  - **costPreview** (required) — type `object`. Estimated credit cost preview for this monitor's schedule.
    - **perCheckCredits** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Credits charged per poll.
    - **perDayCredits** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Estimated credits charged per day at this schedule.
    - **perMonthCredits** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Estimated credits charged per 30-day month at this schedule.
  - **baseline** (optional) — type `object`. Result of the synchronous baseline check run at creation time. Omitted for dry runs.
    - **outcome** (required) — type `string`. Outcome of the synchronous baseline check.
    - **previewItems** (required) — type `array`. Preview of items observed by the baseline check.
      - _items:_
        - nullable
  - **webhookEndpoint** (optional) — type `object`. Webhook endpoint created inline for this monitor, when `webhook.url` was given.
    - **id** (required) — type `string`. Newly created webhook endpoint id.
    - **secret** (required) — type `string`. One-time signing secret for the new webhook endpoint. Shown only in this response — store it now.
- **meta** (required) — type `object`. Metadata describing the request and billing outcome.
  - **requestId** (required) — type `string`; minLength: 1. Unique request identifier for tracing this API call.
  - **creditsCharged** (required) — type `integer`; minimum: 0. Credits charged for this request.
  - **version** (required) — type `string`; enum: v1. Public API version that served the response.
  - **cached** (optional) — type `boolean`. True when served from shared response cache. Credits still apply (full endpoint price); Age header may be present.

### Example JSON (derived from schema)

```json
{
  "data": {
    "id": "string",
    "name": "string",
    "operationId": "string",
    "params": {},
    "schedule": null,
    "nextRunAt": "string",
    "costPreview": {
      "perCheckCredits": 0,
      "perDayCredits": 0,
      "perMonthCredits": 0
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "requestId": "string",
    "creditsCharged": 0,
    "version": "v1",
    "cached": false
  }
}
```

### Machine-readable error codes

When an error JSON body is returned, it may include one of these `error.code` values (derived from the OpenAPI schemas for this operation; additional codes may exist at runtime):

- `bad_request`

## Error handling & retries

Interpret HTTP status codes using the descriptions below. Do not assume a JSON body unless the OpenAPI schema defines one for that status.

- **400**: Invalid schedule, unknown source, invalid params, plan limit exceeded, or invalid webhook URL. **Retry:** Fix the request; retrying the same invalid payload will not help.
- **401**: Missing or invalid API key **Retry:** Fix the API key first; retrying without changes will not help.
- **403**: The given webhook endpoint is not owned by this account, or the account has never purchased a credit pack or held a subscription (Monitors isn't available on free trial credits alone).
- **500**: Unexpected error

### Suggested client defaults

- Send the API key using the `x-api-key` header on every request.
- On `503` (and sometimes `502`), retry with backoff; cap retries and surface a clear error to the user.
- On `402`, surface an actionable billing message rather than blind retries.