Web HTML API
Pass a public URL, get cleaned HTML back in the shared Social Fetch envelope — same API key as markdown extract and social lookups.
GET /v1/web/html1 credit per successful request.
About this endpoint
Some pipelines need the page as HTML, not markdown. A Cheerio or Beautiful Soup job expects tags and attributes. A diff tool compares markup between releases. A research script pulls `og:` tags or schema.org blocks that disappear once you convert to plain text.
`GET /v1/web/html` takes a required `url` (http or https, up to 2083 characters) and returns cleaned HTML in the shared `{ data, meta }` envelope. On `lookupStatus: found`, `data.html` is the processed markup and `data.status` is the HTTP status when available. Optional `metadata` may include fields such as title. On `restricted` (bot or access protection blocked the fetch), `html` and `status` are null. Bill from `meta.creditsCharged` and keep `meta.requestId` when a page looks wrong.
This route is for one URL you already have. Prefer `GET /v1/web/markdown` when you want LLM-ready text. Prefer `GET /v1/web/ask` when you want a short answer about the page. Discover candidate URLs first with `GET /v1/web/search`, or fetch a small set with `GET /v1/web/crawl`. All share one Social Fetch API key.
Web HTML API FAQ
What does the Web HTML API return?
A data object with lookupStatus (found or restricted), the fetched url, an HTTP status when available, and html when found. Optional metadata may include page fields such as title. The response uses the shared Social Fetch envelope with meta.requestId and meta.creditsCharged.
How do I call web HTML?
Send GET /v1/web/html with x-api-key and a required url query parameter (public http or https, up to 2083 characters). Full examples are in the API docs.
How much does web HTML cost?
Pricing is documented on the operation in the API registry (shown on this page). Confirm on every response with meta.creditsCharged — that field is the billing source of truth.
When should I use HTML instead of markdown?
Use GET /v1/web/html when you need markup for a DOM parser, CSS selectors, structured meta tags, or HTML diffs. Use GET /v1/web/markdown when you want readable text for RAG, agents, or archives. Both need a URL you already have.
What does lookupStatus restricted mean?
restricted means bot or access protection blocked automated fetching. html is null. The request can still bill as a completed lookup — read meta.creditsCharged and treat restricted as a hard stop for that URL, not as empty HTML you can ignore.
Is this the same as web crawl or search?
No. GET /v1/web/html extracts one known URL as cleaned HTML. GET /v1/web/search finds candidate URLs by keyword. GET /v1/web/crawl takes a small set of URLs in one call. Typical flow: search for candidates, then html (or markdown) on the URLs you keep.
Can web HTML read pages behind a login?
No. Only publicly reachable pages without your session cookies. Private dashboards and authenticated app screens are out of scope.