Open Source Licenses API GET

Open Source Licenses is a simple tool for getting information on open source licenses. It returns information on various open source licenses.

Try it — live request, no key required

Request

GETapi.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses

Verification

Format

No key required to try it. Get a key to use it in your app.

200 OK

{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    // Open Source Licenses response payload
  }
}

About the Open Source Licenses API

Open Source Licenses works by analyzing the open source licenses provided and returning information on various open source licenses. It uses various sources to determine the information on open source licenses and returns the data.

Ways to call it

One endpoint, many ways in — REST with JSON, XML, YAML and CSV, plus GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents.

JSON: Default REST response
XML: Markup format
YAML: Human-readable
CSV: Tabular export
GraphQL: Query language
MCP: For AI agents

View all integrations →

Other ways to use Open Source Licenses

Same data, same APIVerve account, same credit balance — one key works on all of them.

Give it to an AI agentConnect over MCP and your agent calls it as a native tool — Claude, Cursor, ChatGPT.on VerveKit Google Sheets or ExcelA =VERVE() formula fills a column — no script, no export, recalculates in place.on VerveSheets Ground an agent on itA cited, machine-checkable fact your model can't produce on its own.on VerveContext

Questions.

Common questions about the Open Source Licenses API.

Read the docs →

What does the Open Source Licenses API do?

Open Source Licenses is a simple tool for getting information on open source licenses. It returns information on various open source licenses.

How do I authenticate Open Source Licenses API requests?

Pass your API key in the x-api-key header over HTTPS. One key works across all 300+ APIVerve APIs — there are no per-endpoint credentials.

How much does the Open Source Licenses API cost?

Each call spends 2 credits from your shared pool. The free tier includes 200 credits every month, and paid plans add more headroom.

How fast is the Open Source Licenses API?

Response time depends on the endpoint — the p50 through p99 latency for this API is published on this page. Requests are served over HTTPS through a global edge network.

What response formats does the Open Source Licenses API support?

JSON by default, plus XML and YAML via the format parameter. GraphQL and an MCP interface for AI agents are available across the catalog.

What HTTP method does the Open Source Licenses API use?

GET over HTTPS, following standard REST conventions with a consistent { status, error, data } response envelope.

Request parameters — GET /v1/openlicenses

Sent in the query string. Premium parameters are accepted on every plan but only take effect on plans that include them. Anything not listed here is dropped rather than passed through.

Required

Parameter	Type	Example	Description
`name`Required	string	`MIT`	The name of the open source license to get information about

Example request

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curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses?name=MIT" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — no token exchange, and no per-endpoint scope to configure.

Header	When	Value
`x-api-key`Required	Every request	Your API key. Header names are case-insensitive, so `X-API-Key` is the same header.
`Authorization`Alternate	Instead of the above	`Bearer <key>` — for clients that only expose bearer auth. Resolves to the same account and the same billing.

401 is the only auth verdict

A 401 means the key is missing, invalid or expired. A 403 means the key is valid but not permitted here — blocked by a key restriction or an IP allow-list. Running out of credits is a 429.

Response — GET /v1/openlicenses

Every APIVerve endpoint returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape.

Sample response

{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "domain_content": false,
    "domain_data": false,
    "domain_software": true,
    "legacy_ids": [
      "mit-license"
    ],
    "license": "MIT",
    "name": "MIT License",
    "license_url": "https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT",
    "license_status": "active",
    "isOsiApproved": true,
    "compatibleDomains": [
      "software"
    ]
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Field	Type	Example	Description
`domain_content`	boolean	`false`	Whether the licence is intended for content
`domain_data`	boolean	`false`	Whether the licence is intended for data
`domain_software`	boolean	`true`	Whether the licence is intended for software
`legacy_ids`	array	`[mit-license]`	Older identifiers this licence has been known by
`license`	string	`"MIT"`	SPDX identifier of the licence
`name`	string	`"MIT License"`	Full name of the licence
`license_url`	string	`"https://opensource.org/licenses/MIT"`	Canonical URL of the licence text
`license_status`	string	`"active"`	Whether the licence is active, retired or superseded
`isOsiApproved`	boolean	`true`	Whether the license is OSI approved
`compatibleDomains`Premium	array	`[software]`	List of compatible domains (software, content, data)

Response headers

Every response carries your balance, so your own code always knows where it stands without polling anything. All four are exposed to browsers through CORS.

Header	What it carries
`x-api-remaining-credits`	Credits left in the current cycle
`x-api-credits-used`	Credits spent in the current cycle
`x-api-max-credits`	The allowance for the cycle
`x-api-version`	Version of the endpoint that answered

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change.

Status	Meaning	What to do
`400`	Input was rejected	Read `error`; it names the parameter that has to change.
`401`	Key missing or invalid	Check the header name and the key value.
`403`	Key valid, but not permitted here	A key restriction or an IP allow-list — never a bad key.
`429`	Rate limited, or out of credits	Read `error` to tell them apart, then back off or top up.

What a call costs — 2 credits per call

Credits are shared across every APIVerve API — one balance, one key, one bill. Failed requests never count against it, so a rejected input costs nothing.

Plan	Per month	Credits	Open Source Licenses calls	Per 1,000 calls
Free	Free	200	100	Free
Starter	$29.99	200,000	100,000	$0.30
Pro	$99.99	1,000,000	500,000	$0.20
Mega	$299.99	4,000,000	2,000,000	$0.15

Calls are what the credits buy at this API's rate — spend them here, on any of the other APIs, or across both. Nothing is reserved per endpoint.

Compare all pricing tiers →

Call it from cURL — GET /v1/openlicenses

No SDK to install — this is a plain HTTPS call to /v1/openlicenses with your key in the x-api-key header. Swap in a real key and it runs as-is.

cURL

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curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"

Resources

GitHubapiverve/openlicenses-apiSource, issues and the examples this page is built from.ReferenceOpen Source Licenses API docsEvery parameter, every response field, and the errors.ParametersWhat this call acceptsRequired and optional inputs, with example values.

Also published for

@apiverve/openlicensesnpm APIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicensesNuGet

Only the languages APIVerve ships a client for are listed — the rest call the endpoint directly over HTTPS.

Call it from Node.js — GET /v1/openlicenses

Install the Node.js SDK, then call the Open Source Licenses API with your key. The client wraps the same HTTPS request, so anything it returns is what the endpoint returns.

Install — npm

npm install @apiverve/openlicenses

Node.js

const res = await fetch("https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses", {
  headers: { "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
});
const { data } = await res.json();
console.log(data);

Resources

npm@apiverve/openlicensesThe published Node.js client, versioned and signed.GitHubapiverve/openlicenses-apiSource, issues and the examples this page is built from.ReferenceOpen Source Licenses API docsEvery parameter, every response field, and the errors.ParametersWhat this call acceptsRequired and optional inputs, with example values.

Also published for

APIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicensesNuGet

Only the languages APIVerve ships a client for are listed — the rest call the endpoint directly over HTTPS.

Call it from Python — GET /v1/openlicenses

No SDK to install — this is a plain HTTPS call to /v1/openlicenses with your key in the x-api-key header. Swap in a real key and it runs as-is.

Python

import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses",
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
print(res.json()["data"])

Resources

Also published for

@apiverve/openlicensesnpm APIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicensesNuGet

Only the languages APIVerve ships a client for are listed — the rest call the endpoint directly over HTTPS.

Call it from C# / .NET — GET /v1/openlicenses

Install the C# / .NET SDK, then call the Open Source Licenses API with your key. The client wraps the same HTTPS request, so anything it returns is what the endpoint returns.

Install — NuGet

dotnet add package APIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicenses

C# / .NET

using var client = new HttpClient();
client.DefaultRequestHeaders.Add("x-api-key", "YOUR_API_KEY");

var json = await client.GetStringAsync("https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses");
Console.WriteLine(json);

Resources

NuGetAPIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicensesThe published C# / .NET client, versioned and signed.GitHubapiverve/openlicenses-apiSource, issues and the examples this page is built from.ReferenceOpen Source Licenses API docsEvery parameter, every response field, and the errors.ParametersWhat this call acceptsRequired and optional inputs, with example values.

Also published for

@apiverve/openlicensesnpm

Only the languages APIVerve ships a client for are listed — the rest call the endpoint directly over HTTPS.

Call it from Go — GET /v1/openlicenses

No SDK to install — this is a plain HTTPS call to /v1/openlicenses with your key in the x-api-key header. Swap in a real key and it runs as-is.

req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses", nil)
req.Header.Set("x-api-key", "YOUR_API_KEY")

res, _ := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
defer res.Body.Close()
body, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
fmt.Println(string(body))

Resources

Also published for

@apiverve/openlicensesnpm APIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicensesNuGet

Only the languages APIVerve ships a client for are listed — the rest call the endpoint directly over HTTPS.

Call it from PHP — GET /v1/openlicenses

No SDK to install — this is a plain HTTPS call to /v1/openlicenses with your key in the x-api-key header. Swap in a real key and it runs as-is.

PHP

$ch = curl_init("https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses");
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER, ["x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"]);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
echo $response;

Resources

Also published for

@apiverve/openlicensesnpm APIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicensesNuGet

Only the languages APIVerve ships a client for are listed — the rest call the endpoint directly over HTTPS.

Call it from Ruby — GET /v1/openlicenses

No SDK to install — this is a plain HTTPS call to /v1/openlicenses with your key in the x-api-key header. Swap in a real key and it runs as-is.

Ruby

require "net/http"

uri = URI("https://api.apiverve.com/v1/openlicenses")
req = Net::HTTP::Get.new(uri)
req["x-api-key"] = "YOUR_API_KEY"

res = Net::HTTP.start(uri.hostname, uri.port, use_ssl: true) { |h| h.request(req) }
puts res.body

Resources

Also published for

@apiverve/openlicensesnpm APIVerve.API.OpenSourceLicensesNuGet

Only the languages APIVerve ships a client for are listed — the rest call the endpoint directly over HTTPS.

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Open Source Licenses API GET

Try it — live request, no key required

About the Open Source Licenses API

Ways to call it

Other ways to use Open Source Licenses

Questions.

Request parameters — GET /v1/openlicenses

Required

Authentication

Response — GET /v1/openlicenses

Response fields

Response headers

Errors

What a call costs — 2 credits per call

Call it from cURL — GET /v1/openlicenses

Resources

Also published for

Call it from Node.js — GET /v1/openlicenses

Resources

Also published for

Call it from Python — GET /v1/openlicenses

Resources

Also published for

Call it from C# / .NET — GET /v1/openlicenses

Resources

Also published for

Call it from Go — GET /v1/openlicenses

Resources

Also published for

Call it from PHP — GET /v1/openlicenses

Resources

Also published for

Call it from Ruby — GET /v1/openlicenses

Resources

Also published for

Zero-code embed — one snippet, no backend

Changelog — Open Source Licenses API

Data Lookup

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