BYTETOOLS

Nekos.best API

Free anime image API with no key: SFW anime images and reaction GIFs by category, with artist attribution and source links. CORS enabled. Tested example.

No API key requiredHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 2026-08-20

What is the Nekos.best API?

Nekos.best is a free, key-free API serving safe-for-work anime images and reaction GIFs organised by category, with artist names and source links included for proper attribution.

Anime image APIs are common but most omit attribution entirely. Nekos.best includes the artist's name and a link to the original source with every image, which makes it the responsible choice if you are displaying other people's art.

Reaction categories — hug, pat, smile, wave and so on — make it well suited to Discord bots, which is its main use in practice.

Quick facts

Base URL
https://nekos.best/api/v2
Authentication
No API key required.
Rate limit
No published hard limit; fair use expected.
Pricing
Free.
CORS
Not enabled — call it from your server
Official docs
Read the docs

How to use the Nekos.best API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 2026-08-20, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Fetch a random anime image

GET https://nekos.best/api/v2/neko

curl
curl 'https://nekos.best/api/v2/neko'
JavaScript (fetch)
const res = await fetch("https://nekos.best/api/v2/neko");
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://nekos.best/api/v2/neko", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())
Response — HTTP 200
{
  "results": [
    {
      "artist_name": "Nyam",
      "artist_href": "https://twitter.com/adelie_cat",
      "source_url": "https://twitter.com/adelie_cat/status/1881649330370793775",
      "url": "https://nekos.best/api/v2/neko/01566889-ab90-4805-a6a5-041b6f68714f.png",
      "dimensions": {
        "width": 1100,
        "height": 1500
      }
    }
  ]
}

Parameters

ParameterTypeRequiredDescription
<category>pathRequiredCategory such as neko, husbando, kitsune, hug, pat, smile. neko
amountintegerOptionalNumber of results, max 20. 5

Response fields

resultsarray
The returned images or GIFs.
results[].urlstring
Direct image or GIF URL.
results[].artist_namestring
Artist name — display it.
results[].artist_hrefstring
Link to the artist's page.
results[].source_urlstring
Original source of the artwork.
results[].anime_namestring
Source anime, on GIF categories.

What you can build with the Nekos.best API

  • Build a Discord bot with reaction GIF commands
  • Add anime imagery to a community site with proper attribution
  • Create a random image feature for an anime app
  • Test image and GIF rendering with real assets

Common errors and how to fix them

404

Unknown category name.

Fix: Check the documented category list; names are lowercase single words.

Missing attribution in your UI

Artist data is provided but easy to ignore.

Fix: Display artist_name and link artist_href — that is the point of the API including them.

Large GIFs

Reaction GIFs can be several megabytes.

Fix: Lazy-load and consider a loading state.

Nekos.best API — frequently asked questions

Is Nekos.best free?

Yes, completely free with no API key required.

Is the content safe for work?

Yes, Nekos.best is SFW only, which distinguishes it from several similar anime image APIs.

Does it provide artist attribution?

Yes, and that is its main advantage — every image includes the artist name, a link to their page and the original source URL. Display them.

What categories are available?

Character categories such as neko, husbando and kitsune, plus reaction GIF categories like hug, pat, smile and wave — the latter being why it is popular for Discord bots.

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.

Image Cropper

Crop images online to an exact rectangle with pixel-precise x, y, width and height inputs or aspect-ratio presets. Free, private and browser-based.

Nekos.best is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 2026-08-20; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.