4chan

API

Free API for accessing 4chan's image-based bulletin board data

Overview

The 4chan API provides RESTful endpoints to retrieve public data from its image-based bulletin boards. Key endpoints include listing boards (/boards), fetching threads for a board (/{board}/threads), accessing specific threads with posts (/{board}/res/{thread_id}), and retrieving image URLs for attachments. Responses are in JSON format, with no authentication required for public content. Use cases include building third-party 4chan clients, archiving niche topic discussions, analyzing post trends across boards, or researching internet culture through image and text content.

Example Integration (JavaScript)

script.js JS


fetch('https://github.com/4chan/4chan-API')
  .then(res => res.json())
  .then(data => console.log(data))
  .catch(err => console.error(err));

Key Features

RESTful endpoints
JSON responses
No authentication required
Access to boards, threads, posts, and images

Frequently Asked Questions

? Is the 4chan API free to use?

Yes, the 4chan API is completely free for accessing public bulletin board data.

? Does it require an API Key?

No, authentication or API keys are not needed for any public endpoints of the 4chan API.

? What is the response format?

All responses from the 4chan API are in JSON format, which is easy to parse for most applications.

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Tool Info

Pricing Free

Category Social

Platform Public API

Pros

⊕ Free and open access to public data
⊕ Simple, intuitive endpoint structure
⊕ Covers all core 4chan content types

Cons

⊖ Rate-limited to prevent abuse
⊖ No official support or SLA
⊖ Limited to read-only public operations (no posting)