Bluesky Public API

Free Bluesky public API with no key: profiles, posts, followers and feeds from the AT Protocol network. No authentication for public data. Tested example.

No API key requiredCORS enabledHTTPSFree tier

Endpoint tested and returned HTTP 200 on 19 Aug 2026

What is the Bluesky Public API?

The Bluesky public API is a free, key-free interface to public AT Protocol data — user profiles, posts, follower counts and feeds — available without authentication through the public AppView endpoint.

Bluesky exposes public data through public.api.bsky.app with no authentication at all, which is unusual among modern social platforms. Profiles, post threads, follower lists and feeds are all readable anonymously.

Identity works differently here and is worth understanding: every account has a permanent DID (decentralised identifier) alongside its changeable handle. Store the DID, not the handle — users can change handles or move providers, and the DID is what stays stable.

Quick facts

Base URL: https://public.api.bsky.app/xrpc
Authentication: Public AppView endpoints need no auth. Posting and reading private data require an authenticated session.
Rate limit: Roughly 3,000 requests per 5 minutes per IP on the public AppView.
Pricing: Free and open protocol.
CORS: Enabled — callable directly from browser JavaScript
Official docs: Read the docs

How to use the Bluesky Public API

Every request below was executed against the live API on 19 Aug 2026, and the response shown is the real body it returned — not an illustration.

1. Fetch a public Bluesky profile

GET https://public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsky.actor.getProfile?actor=bsky.app

curl

curl 'https://public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsky.actor.getProfile?actor=bsky.app'

JavaScript (fetch)

const res = await fetch("https://public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsky.actor.getProfile?actor=bsky.app");
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://public.api.bsky.app/xrpc/app.bsky.actor.getProfile?actor=bsky.app", timeout=20)
res.raise_for_status()
print(res.json())

Response — HTTP 200

{
  "did": "did:plc:z72i7hdynmk6r22z27h6tvur",
  "handle": "bsky.app",
  "displayName": "Bluesky",
  "avatar": "https://cdn.bsky.app/img/avatar/plain/did:plc:z72i7hdynmk6r22z27h6tvur/bafkreihwihm6kpd6zuwhhlro75p5qks5qtrcu55jp3gddbfjsieiv7wuka",
  "associated": {
    "lists": 17,
    "feedgens": 7,
    "starterPacks": 14,
    "labeler": false,
    "chat": {
      "allowIncoming": "none"
    },
    "activitySubscription": {
      "allowSubscriptions": "followers"
    }
  },
  "labels": [],
  "createdAt": "2023-04-12T04:53:57.057Z",
  "verification": {
    "verifications": [],
    "verifiedStatus": "none",
    "trustedVerifierStatus": "valid"
  },
  "description": "official Bluesky account (check username👆)\n\nBugs, feature requests, feedback: support@bsky.app",
  "indexedAt": "2025-10-27T21:05:26.152Z",
  "banner": "https://cdn.bsky.app/img/banner/plain/did:plc:z72i7hdynmk6r22z27h6tvur/bafkreichzyovokfzmymz36p5jibbjrhsur6n7hjnzxrpbt5jaydp2szvna",
  "followersCount": 34585239,
  "followsCount": 11,
  "postsCount": 808,
  "pinnedPost": {
    "cid": "bafyreicnt42y6vo6pfpvyro234ac4o6ijug6adwwrh7awflgrqlt4zibxq",
    "uri": "at://did:plc:z72i7hdynmk6r22z27h6tvur/app.bsky.feed.post/3l6oveex3ii2l"
  }
}

Parameters

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
`actor`	string	Required	Handle or DID of the account. `bsky.app`
`app.bsky.actor.getProfile`	path	Optional	Profile endpoint. `app.bsky.actor.getProfile`
`app.bsky.feed.getAuthorFeed`	path	Optional	A user's posts. `app.bsky.feed.getAuthorFeed`
`limit`	integer	Optional	Results per page on feed endpoints. `50`
`cursor`	string	Optional	Pagination cursor from the previous response. `abc123`

Response fields

didstring: Permanent decentralised identifier — store this, not the handle.
handlestring: Current handle, which the user can change.
displayNamestring: Display name.
avatar / bannerstring: Profile image URLs.
followersCount / followsCount / postsCountinteger: Public engagement counts.
descriptionstring: Profile bio.

What you can build with the Bluesky Public API

Display Bluesky follower counts or a post feed on a website
Build a read-only Bluesky client or embed
Monitor public posts mentioning a topic
Analyse the AT Protocol social graph

Common errors and how to fix them

400 InvalidRequest

Missing the `actor` parameter or a malformed handle.

Fix: Pass a full handle including domain, e.g. bsky.app, or a DID.

Handle no longer resolves

The user changed their handle.

Fix: Store and query by DID, which never changes, rather than the handle.

429

Rate limit exceeded.

Fix: Public AppView allows roughly 3,000 requests per 5 minutes per IP; add caching.

Bluesky Public API — frequently asked questions

Does the Bluesky API need authentication?

Not for public data. The public AppView at public.api.bsky.app serves profiles, posts and feeds with no key. Posting or reading private data requires a session.

What is a DID and why does it matter?

A decentralised identifier — the account's permanent id. Handles can be changed by the user, so always store and query by DID for anything persistent.

Can I post to Bluesky through this API?

Not through the public endpoint. Writing requires creating an authenticated session against the user's PDS with an app password.

What is the AT Protocol?

The open protocol underlying Bluesky. It separates identity, data storage and the application view, which is why public reads can be served without any account.

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.

Word Counter

Count words, characters, sentences, paragraphs and estimated reading time instantly. Free online word counter for essays, blogs and social media.

Alternatives to Bluesky Public API

If Bluesky Public API does not fit, these social media 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
Mastodon	Free Mastodon API: public timelines, instance metadata, trending hashtags and account data from any Mastodon server with no key for public endpoints. Tested.	No key	No	19 Aug 2026
Lemmy	Free Lemmy API with no key: posts, comments, communities and site data from any federated Lemmy instance. A Reddit-style API without gatekeeping. Tested.	No key	No	19 Aug 2026
DEV Community	Free DEV.to API with no key for public content: articles, tags, users and comments from the developer community platform. Tested curl example and live JSON.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Microlink	Free link preview API with no key for basic use: extract title, description, image, author and favicon from any URL. Powers unfurl previews. Tested example.	No key	Yes	19 Aug 2026
Lanyard (Discord Presence)	Free Discord presence API with no key: online status, activities, Spotify track and a per-user key-value store, over REST or WebSocket. Tested example included.	No key	Yes	21 Aug 2026
joinmastodon Servers	Free Mastodon server directory API with no key: browse vetted fediverse instances with user counts, languages, categories and open registration status. Tested.	No key	Yes	20 Aug 2026

All Social Media APIs

Bluesky Public API is an independent third-party service and is not affiliated with ByteTools or ByteVancer. Details on this page were verified on 19 Aug 2026; always check the official documentation before relying on this API in production, as terms and limits can change.