JokeAPI

Free JokeAPI with no key: programming, pun and miscellaneous jokes with category filters, blacklist flags and safe mode for family-friendly output. Tested.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 20 Aug 2026

What is the JokeAPI?

JokeAPI is a free, key-free jokes API offering programming, pun, spooky and miscellaneous jokes, with category filtering, content blacklist flags and a safe mode that guarantees family-friendly output.

JokeAPI is the most configurable of the free joke APIs. Beyond categories, it exposes a blacklist system letting you exclude jokes flagged as nsfw, religious, political, racist, sexist or explicit — individually or all at once.

The `safe-mode` flag is the important one for any public-facing product. Joke APIs without content filtering will eventually serve something you did not want on your site, and this is the only free one that takes that seriously.

Quick facts

Base URL: https://v2.jokeapi.dev
Authentication: No API key required.
Rate limit: 120 requests per minute per IP.
Pricing: Free and open source.
CORS: Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs: Read the docs

How to use the JokeAPI

Every request below was executed against the live API on 20 Aug 2026, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Fetch a programming joke

GET https://v2.jokeapi.dev/joke/Programming?type=single&safe-mode

curl

curl 'https://v2.jokeapi.dev/joke/Programming?type=single&safe-mode'

JavaScript (fetch)

const res = await fetch("https://v2.jokeapi.dev/joke/Programming?type=single&safe-mode");
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${res.status}`);
const data = await res.json();
console.log(data);

Python (requests)

import requests

res = requests.get("https://v2.jokeapi.dev/joke/Programming?type=single&safe-mode", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())

Response — HTTP 200

{
  "error": false,
  "category": "Programming",
  "type": "single",
  "joke": "// This line doesn't actually do anything, but the code stops working when I delete it.",
  "flags": {
    "nsfw": false,
    "religious": false,
    "political": false,
    "racist": false,
    "sexist": false,
    "explicit": false
  },
  "id": 12,
  "safe": true,
  "lang": "en"
}

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`joke/<category>`	path	Required	Any, Programming, Misc, Dark, Pun, Spooky, Christmas. `joke/Programming`
`type`	string	Optional	single or twopart. `single`
`safe-mode`	flag	Optional	Guarantee family-friendly output. `safe-mode`
`blacklistFlags`	string	Optional	Comma-separated flags to exclude. `nsfw,racist`
`amount`	integer	Optional	Number of jokes, up to 10. `5`
`lang`	string	Optional	en, de, es, fr, pt, cs. `en`

Response fields

errorboolean: False on success — check this first.
categorystring: Which category the joke came from.
typestring: single or twopart.
jokestring: The joke, on single-type responses.
setup / deliverystring: The two halves, on twopart responses.
flagsobject: Content flags — nsfw, religious, political, racist, sexist, explicit.
safeboolean: Whether the joke passed safe-mode checks.

What you can build with the JokeAPI

Add a safe joke command to a Discord or Slack bot
Show programming humour on a developer site
Build a joke app with content filtering for a general audience
Practise handling APIs with two different response shapes

Common errors and how to fix them

Two different response shapes

single has `joke`; twopart has `setup` and `delivery`.

Fix: Branch on the `type` field, or force one with type=single.

Unwanted content

Default output is unfiltered.

Fix: Always add safe-mode for public-facing use — this is the API's main advantage, so use it.

429

Exceeded 120 requests per minute.

Fix: Cache, or request several jokes at once with `amount`.

JokeAPI — frequently asked questions

Is JokeAPI free?

Yes, completely free and open source with no API key, limited to 120 requests per minute.

How do I keep jokes family-friendly?

Add the safe-mode flag, which guarantees filtered output. You can also exclude specific content types with blacklistFlags. This filtering is JokeAPI's main advantage over simpler joke APIs.

Why do responses have different shapes?

Single jokes use a `joke` field; two-part jokes use `setup` and `delivery`. Branch on `type`, or force one format with type=single.

Which languages are supported?

English, German, Spanish, French, Portuguese and Czech, selected with the `lang` parameter.

Tools that pair with this API

JSON Formatter

Format, beautify and minify JSON online with 2-space, 4-space or tab indentation. Sort keys alphabetically and catch syntax errors instantly — free and private.

Random Number Generator

Generate random numbers in any range with cryptographically secure randomness. Multiple numbers, no-repeat mode, sorting, plus dice and coin presets.

Alternatives to JokeAPI

If JokeAPI does not fit, these game & anime apis cover similar ground. Every one was called before publishing, and each links to its own reference page with a working curl command and the response it returned.

API	What it does	Auth	CORS	Last verified
PokéAPI	Free Pokémon API with no key: stats, types, abilities, moves, evolutions and sprites for 1,000+ species. The most popular API for learning REST. Tested example.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Rick and Morty API	Free Rick and Morty API with no key: 800+ characters, episodes and locations with images, filtering and pagination. REST and GraphQL. Tested example.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Jikan (MyAnimeList)	Free unofficial MyAnimeList API with no key: anime and manga data, scores, characters, staff and seasonal listings. Tested curl example and live JSON.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Deck of Cards	Free playing card API with no key: shuffle decks, draw cards, manage piles and get card images. Stateful deck ids. Tested curl example and live JSON.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Kitsu	Free Kitsu API with no key: anime and manga with synopses, ratings, episode counts, genres and poster images. JSON:API format. Tested curl example.	No key	No	20 Aug 2026
Lichess	Free Lichess API with no key for public data: player profiles, ratings, game archives in PGN, tournaments, puzzles and opening explorer. Tested example.	No key	Yes	20 Aug 2026

All Game & Anime APIs

JokeAPI is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 20 Aug 2026; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.