# Are.na API
> A live window into Are.na, the calm, ad-free social platform where people collect and connect ideas into visual "channels", as an API. Search the channels people are building — each with its block count, follower count and status — open a channel to read its details, or pull a channel's contents: the images, links and notes ("blocks") inside it. The community's collective research and moodboards delivered as clean JSON for creative, bookmarking, research and dashboard apps. Live data, no key. Distinct from microblogs, link-aggregators and forums — this is connected collecting.

## Authentication
All requests require your oanor API key in the `x-oanor-key` header. Get one at https://www.oanor.com/developer/keys.

```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: oanor_live_…" "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/..."
```

## Pricing
- **Free** (Free) — 550 calls/Mo, 5 req/s
- **Starter** ($7/Mo) — 15,500 calls/Mo, 15 req/s
- **Pro** ($16/Mo) — 69,000 calls/Mo, 30 req/s
- **Business** ($39/Mo) — 345,000 calls/Mo, 50 req/s

## Endpoints

### Channels

#### `GET /v1/channel` — Channel details by slug

**Parameters:**
- `slug` (query, required, string) — Channel slug Example: `arena-influences`

**Example:**
```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \
  "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/v1/channel?slug=arena-influences"
```

**Response:**
```json
{
    "data": {
        "channel": {
            "id": 275,
            "url": "https://www.are.na/charles-broskoski/arena-influences",
            "nsfw": false,
            "open": false,
            "slug": "arena-influences",
            "user": {
                "name": "Charles Broskoski",
                "slug": "charles-broskoski"
            },
            "title": "Arena Influences",
            "length": 128,
            "status": "closed",
            "followers": 1012,
            "created_at": "2011-08-12T17:53:48.000Z",
            "updated_at": "2026-06-08T00:57:05.174Z"
        }
    },
    "meta": {
        "timestamp": "2026-06-09T03:03:18.850Z",
        "request_id": "58a06b5a-d20f-4607-ac41-28560802074e"
    },
    "status": "ok",
    "message": "Channel retrieved successfully",
    "success": true
}
```

#### `GET /v1/search` — Search channels

**Parameters:**
- `q` (query, required, string) — Search query (min 2 chars) Example: `design`
- `limit` (query, optional, string) — Max results (1-50) Example: `20`
- `page` (query, optional, string) — Page number Example: `1`

**Example:**
```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \
  "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/v1/search?q=design&limit=20&page=1"
```

**Response:**
```json
{
    "data": {
        "page": 1,
        "count": 20,
        "query": "design",
        "channels": [
            {
                "id": 239979,
                "url": "https://www.are.na/eric-sfgvsihnveq/type-design-oia6ttn-5e0",
                "nsfw": false,
                "open": false,
                "slug": "type-design-oia6ttn-5e0",
                "user": {
                    "name": "Eric ~",
                    "slug": "eric-sfgvsihnveq"
                },
                "title": "Type Design",
                "length": 8993,
                "status": "closed",
                "followers": 1717,
                "created_at": "2018-09-09T16:14:54.845Z",
                "updated_at": "2026-06-08T22:17:15.809Z"
            },
            {
                "id": 239980,
                "url": "https://www.are.na/eric-sfgvsihnveq/graphic-design-rvbh_juj1ds",
                "nsfw": false,
                "open": false,
                "slug": "graphic-design-rvbh_juj1ds",
                "user": {
                    "name": "Eric ~",
                    "slug": "eric-sfgvsihnveq"
                },
                "title": "Graphic Design",
                "length": 11350,
                "status": "closed",
                "followers": 1861,
                "created_at": "2018-09-09T16:15:32.937Z",
                "updated_at": "2026-06-09T02:05:29.424Z"
            },
            {
                "id": 27500,
                "url": "https://www.are.na/paul-ga
…(truncated, see openapi.json for full schema)
```

### Blocks

#### `GET /v1/block` — One block in full, with the channels it connects to

**Parameters:**
- `id` (query, required, string) — Numeric block id (from /v1/blocks) Example: `3235876`

**Example:**
```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \
  "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/v1/block?id=3235876"
```

**Response:**
```json
{
    "data": {
        "block": {
            "id": 3235876,
            "user": "Charles Broskoski",
            "class": "Link",
            "title": "Isaac Asimov Asks, \"How Do People Get New Ideas?\"",
            "content": null,
            "image_url": "https://images.are.na/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJhcmVuYV9pbWFnZXMiLCJrZXkiOiIzMjM1ODc2L29yaWdpbmFsXzc2ZWFkM2NhYzI1ZTQzNzFhYTliOTJhOTQ5OTNmOWY3LnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MTIwMCwiaGVpZ2h0IjoxMjAwLCJmaXQiOiJpbnNpZGUiLCJ3aXRob3V0RW5sYXJnZW1lbnQiOnRydWV9LCJ3ZWJwIjp7InF1YWxpdHkiOjc1fSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo3NX0sInJvdGF0ZSI6bnVsbH19?bc=0",
            "created_at": "2018-12-19T20:35:55.180Z",
            "source_url": "https://www.technologyreview.com/s/531911/isaac-asimov-asks-how-do-people-get-new-ideas/",
            "description": "Note from Arthur Obermayer, friend of the author: In 1959, I worked as a scientist at Allied Research Associates in Boston. The company was an MIT spinoff that originally focused on the effects of nuclear weapons on aircraft structures.",
            "connected_at": null,
            "connected_channels": [
                {
                    "id": 275,
                    "slug": "arena-influences",
                    "title": "Arena Influences"
                },
                {
                    "id": 53713,
                    "slug": "thoughts-1473618217",
                    "title": "Thoughts"
                },
                {
                    "id": 118989,
         
…(truncated, see openapi.json for full schema)
```

#### `GET /v1/blocks` — A channel's contents (blocks)

**Parameters:**
- `slug` (query, required, string) — Channel slug Example: `arena-influences`
- `limit` (query, optional, string) — Max blocks (1-50) Example: `20`
- `page` (query, optional, string) — Page number Example: `1`

**Example:**
```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \
  "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/v1/blocks?slug=arena-influences&limit=20&page=1"
```

**Response:**
```json
{
    "data": {
        "page": 1,
        "count": 20,
        "blocks": [
            {
                "id": 3235876,
                "user": "Charles Broskoski",
                "class": "Link",
                "title": "Isaac Asimov Asks, \"How Do People Get New Ideas?\"",
                "content": null,
                "image_url": "https://images.are.na/eyJidWNrZXQiOiJhcmVuYV9pbWFnZXMiLCJrZXkiOiIzMjM1ODc2L29yaWdpbmFsXzc2ZWFkM2NhYzI1ZTQzNzFhYTliOTJhOTQ5OTNmOWY3LnBuZyIsImVkaXRzIjp7InJlc2l6ZSI6eyJ3aWR0aCI6MTIwMCwiaGVpZ2h0IjoxMjAwLCJmaXQiOiJpbnNpZGUiLCJ3aXRob3V0RW5sYXJnZW1lbnQiOnRydWV9LCJ3ZWJwIjp7InF1YWxpdHkiOjc1fSwianBlZyI6eyJxdWFsaXR5Ijo3NX0sInJvdGF0ZSI6bnVsbH19?bc=0",
                "created_at": "2018-12-19T20:35:55.180Z",
                "source_url": "https://www.technologyreview.com/s/531911/isaac-asimov-asks-how-do-people-get-new-ideas/",
                "description": "Note from Arthur Obermayer, friend of the author: In 1959, I worked as a scientist at Allied Research Associates in Boston. The company was an MIT spinoff that originally focused on the effects of nuclear weapons on aircraft structures.",
                "connected_at": "2018-12-30T18:17:22.365Z"
            },
            {
                "id": 76969,
                "user": "Chris Sherrón",
                "class": "Media",
                "title": "The Working Sheepdog ( Border Collies ) in training",
                "content": null,
                "image_url": "https://images.are.na/eyJidWN
…(truncated, see openapi.json for full schema)
```

### Meta

#### `GET /v1/meta` — Service metadata

**Example:**
```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \
  "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/v1/meta"
```

**Response:**
```json
{
    "data": {
        "source": "Are.na public API (live)",
        "service": "arena-api",
        "endpoints": {
            "GET /v1/meta": "This document.",
            "GET /v1/blocks": "A channel's contents/blocks (slug=, limit, page).",
            "GET /v1/search": "Search channels (q=design, limit, page).",
            "GET /v1/channel": "Channel details by slug (slug=arena-influences)."
        },
        "description": "Live data from Are.na, the calm social platform for collecting and connecting ideas into visual channels: search channels (with block count, followers and status), open a channel's details, or pull its contents (image/link/text blocks). Live, no key. Distinct from microblogs, link-aggregators and forums.",
        "upstream_status": "ok"
    },
    "meta": {
        "timestamp": "2026-06-09T03:03:20.425Z",
        "request_id": "fb40ca5c-a7f5-437a-b00c-798b4e6fdcbe"
    },
    "status": "ok",
    "message": "Meta",
    "success": true
}
```

### Members

#### `GET /v1/search-users` — Search members by name

**Parameters:**
- `q` (query, required, string) — Search query (min 2 chars) Example: `design`
- `limit` (query, optional, string) — Max results (1-50) Example: `20`
- `page` (query, optional, string) — Page number Example: `1`

**Example:**
```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \
  "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/v1/search-users?q=design&limit=20&page=1"
```

**Response:**
```json
{
    "data": {
        "page": 1,
        "count": 20,
        "query": "design",
        "users": [
            {
                "url": "https://www.are.na/midamo-design",
                "slug": "midamo-design",
                "channels": 84,
                "username": "Midamo Design",
                "followers": 8,
                "following": 39,
                "is_premium": true
            },
            {
                "url": "https://www.are.na/quiggi-design",
                "slug": "quiggi-design",
                "channels": 143,
                "username": "Quiggi Design",
                "followers": 57,
                "following": 550,
                "is_premium": true
            },
            {
                "url": "https://www.are.na/prev-design",
                "slug": "prev-design",
                "channels": 23,
                "username": "prev design",
                "followers": 2,
                "following": 13,
                "is_premium": true
            },
            {
                "url": "https://www.are.na/fikus-design",
                "slug": "fikus-design",
                "channels": 80,
                "username": "fikus design",
                "followers": 13,
                "following": 581,
                "is_premium": true
            },
            {
                "url": "https://www.are.na/invade-design",
                "slug": "invade-design",
                "channels": 195,
                "username": "in
…(truncated, see openapi.json for full schema)
```

#### `GET /v1/user` — A member's profile and social counts

**Parameters:**
- `slug` (query, required, string) — Member slug or id Example: `charles-broskoski`

**Example:**
```bash
curl -H "x-oanor-key: $KEY" \
  "https://api.oanor.com/arena-api/v1/user?slug=charles-broskoski"
```

**Response:**
```json
{
    "data": {
        "user": {
            "id": 15,
            "url": "https://www.are.na/charles-broskoski",
            "slug": "charles-broskoski",
            "avatar": "https://static.avatars.are.na/15/medium_f91bdac52d14ef988c9818884d6865db.jpg?1616377630",
            "channels": 1641,
            "username": "Charles Broskoski",
            "followers": 5021,
            "following": 11036,
            "full_name": "Charles Broskoski",
            "created_at": "2011-06-21T01:41:32.080Z",
            "is_premium": true
        }
    },
    "meta": {
        "timestamp": "2026-06-13T14:11:19.621Z",
        "request_id": "e82bc540-1aba-4d47-983c-6667a02f72c5"
    },
    "status": "ok",
    "message": "User retrieved successfully",
    "success": true
}
```


---
Marketplace page: https://www.oanor.com/api/arena-api
OpenAPI spec: https://www.oanor.com/api/arena-api/openapi.json