Getting started with and learning how to use the API is relatively straightforward. Here are some recommended steps:
Then, when you are ready, obtain an API Key. While you don’t need an Application Programming Interface Key to try or use the Application Programming Interface, we recommend you get one if you are planning to use the Application Programming Interface on a regular basis. For more information on Application Programming Interface Keys, see the Authentication documentation.
You can call the API from a web browser. Simply type a valid query in your browser’s address bar and press the Enter key.
In the example below, we are searching the records in the drug NDC Directory endpoint for matches with Class III
in the classification
field. We are requesting to see the first 5 records that match."
https://api.fda.gov/drug/ndc.json
search=field:term
It is possible to construct very complex queries using the openFDA API. Review the Construct the query documentation to learn more about all the available query parameters, how to handle quotations, spaces, phrase matches, and groupings, how to search on dates and ranges, and more.