We’ve just released a new API gateway to access our APIs: docs.ala.org.au! Over 130 API endpoints have been migrated across to Swagger in a beta release, and we’re working on making more available very soon.

ALA is passionate about empowering and supporting great research, so we’ve released APIs which were only used internally in the past. You can now use these in your work to access our open-source data more easily and feed into downstream analyses using your own system. We can’t wait for you to try them out and let us know what you think!

software developer coding at a computer

FAQs

What about security?

The new portal will increase security for both ALA and you, our user. By moving to JSON Web Tokens (JWT), we’re able to open up access to previously unreleased APIs.

JWT tokens? But isn’t ALA providing access to open data?

Yes, we still are! (And we’re still free to use too).

Most of our APIs do not require authentication and can be accessed freely as documented in the relevant Swagger specifications found at docs.ala.org.au

For the protected APIs (such as sensitive or private data), you’ll need a JWT, which can be generated via a Client ID and Client Secret – see tokens.ala.org.au to register for these.

What’s happening to the existing API portal?

While we are in the process of migrating more APIs across, the legacy ALA API portal will still be fully available and everything will be backwards compatible.

Still have questions?

See our updated support article: How to access ALA APIs for technical tips on working with the new portal.

Finally, we’d love to hear from you! If you come across any issues, need help, or have questions or feedback about the new portal, feel free to reach out to us on support@ala.org.au.

The TL; DR summary:

What’s changed?

  • New ALA API portal with a new URL: docs.ala.org.au
  • More API endpoints now available, and more coming soon
  • Increased security
  • See our Tokens portal for authorisation credentials

What hasn’t changed?

  • ALA and our APIs are still open-source and free to use
  • The legacy API portal will still be available while we complete the migration
  • We’re still here to help if you need assistance: support@ala.org.au
screenshot of the new ALA API docs portal