Introduction

Welcome to API documentation for Write.as and WriteFreely! Our API gives you full read access and publishing abilities, enabling you to build your own full-featured applications or utilities.

This documentation represents the officially-supported, latest API. Any properties or endpoints you discover in the API that aren't documented here should be considered experimental or beta functionality, and subject to change without any notice.

Write.as

Write.as is our hosted WriteFreely service.

It's also where we develop and test cutting-edge functionality that will eventually make its way into WriteFreely — sometimes many months after it's first available on our hosted platform. Due to this, there will be some differences between our hosted Write.as API and the API on a self-hosted WriteFreely instance. We indicate that in the documentation, where necessary.

Our API is accessible on the web at https://write.as/api/ and via our Tor onion service at writeasw4b635r4o3vec6mu45s47ohfyro5vayzx2zjwod4pjswyovyd.onion/api/.

WriteFreely

WriteFreely is self-hosted, open source software.

It powers our hosted platform, Write.as, plus hundreds of independent blogs and writing communities around the web.

Updates are pushed out via official releases at regular intervals, and as mentioned above, it may lag behind certain features in Write.as. Where necessary, we'll note differences between the two platforms' APIs in this documentation.

Developers

For developers building general-use libraries for our API, such as those found in the next section, we recommend that you build against features in the WriteFreely API only, so your library will be useful to the widest possible audience.

Branding and Use

In this case, we also recommend using the "WriteFreely" name instead of "Write.as" for your library — without, as always, implying that your library is officially developed and supported by the Write.as team.

Libraries

These are our official API libraries:

Language	Docs	Repository	WriteFreely Support?
Go	GoDoc	GitHub	Yes
Swift	SwiftDoc	GitHub	Yes
Java		GitHub	No

These libraries were created by the community — let us know if you create one, too!

Language	Docs	Repository	WriteFreely Support?
Vala	README	GitHub	Yes
PHP	README	GitHub	Yes
.NET Core	README	GitHub	Yes
Python	README	GitHub	No
Javascript	npm	GitHub	No

Getting Started

Here are some basic concepts to understand before getting started with the WriteFreely / Write.as API.

Design

Our API tries to follow standard RESTful patterns.

Backwards compatibility is important to us since we have a large set of Write.as apps and WriteFreely apps in the wild. As we add new features, we usually add endpoints and properties alongside existing ones, but don't remove or change finalized ones that are documented here. If a breaking API change is required in the future, we'll version new endpoints and update these docs.

Terminology

This is the internal terminology we use for certain concepts in WriteFreely. We recommend adopting it for similar concepts in your apps and libraries.

Post: A Markdown-based article, with metadata.
Collection: Known as a "blog" to users, though that's not necessarily its only use. It holds one or more Posts.
User: A registered account representing an individual, with a password, email, and access to Posts and Collections.

Errors

{
  "code": "400",
  "error_msg": "Bad request."
}

The WriteFreely API uses conventional HTTP response codes to indicate the status of an API request. Codes in the 2xx range indicate success or that more information is available in the returned data, in the case of bulk actions. Codes in the 4xx range indicate that the request failed with the information provided. Codes in the 5xx range indicate an error with the WriteFreely server (you shouldn't see many of these).

Error Code	Meaning
400	Bad Request -- The request didn't provide the correct parameters, or JSON / form data was improperly formatted.
401	Unauthorized -- No valid user token was given.
403	Forbidden -- You attempted an action that you're not allowed to perform.
404	Not Found -- The requested resource doesn't exist.
405	Method Not Allowed -- The attempted method isn't supported.
410	Gone -- The entity was unpublished, but may be back.
429	Too Many Requests -- You're making too many requests, especially to the same resource.
500, 502, 503	Server errors -- Something went wrong on our end.

Responses

{
  "code": "200",
  "data": {
  }
}

All responses are returned in a JSON object containing two fields:

Field	Type	Description
`code`	integer	An HTTP status code in the `2xx` range.
`data`	object or array	A single object for most requests; an array for bulk requests.

This wrapper will never contain an error_msg property at the top level.

Most endpoints accept both form data or JSON, assuming form data by default unless a Content-Type: application/json header is sent.

Authentication

The API doesn't require any authentication, either for the client or end user. However, if you want to perform actions on behalf of a user, you'll need to pass a user access token with any requests:

Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

See the Authenticate a User section for information on logging in.

Replace 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000 with a user's access token.

Formatting

The bulk of formatting on WriteFreely is done with Markdown, a plain-text formatting syntax that converts to HTML.

Render Markdown

curl "https://write.as/api/markdown" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"raw_body": "This is *formatted* in __Markdown__."}'

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "body": "<p>This is the <em>formated</em> in <strong>Markdown</strong>.</p> ",
  }
}

This takes raw Markdown and renders it into usable HTML.

Definition

POST /api/markdown

Arguments

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
raw_body	string	yes	The raw Markdown string.
collection_url	string	no	If given, hashtags in the supplied Markdown will automatically be linked to the correct page on the given collection (blog).

Returns

A 200 at the top level for all valid, authenticated requests. data contains body, the rendered HTML from the given Markdown.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 400,
  "error_msg": "Expected valid JSON object."
}

Error Code	Meaning
400	JSON parsing failed.

Posts

Posts are the most basic entities on WriteFreely. Each can have its own appearance, and isn't connected to any other WriteFreely entity by default.

Users can choose between different appearances for each post, usually passed to and from the API as a font property:

Argument	Appearance (Typeface)	Word Wrap?	Also on
`sans`	Sans-serif (Open Sans)	Yes	N/A
`serif` / `norm`	Serif (Lora)	Yes	N/A
`wrap`	Monospace	Yes	N/A
`mono`	Monospace	No	paste.as
`code`	Syntax-highlighted monospace	No	paste.as

Publish a Post

c := writeas.NewClient()
p, err := c.CreatePost(&writeas.PostParams{
    Title:   "My First Post",
    Content: "This is a post.",
})

curl "https://write.as/api/posts" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"body": "This is a post.", "title": "My First Post"}'

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
let post = WFPost(body: "This is a post.", title: "My First Post")
client.createPost(post: post) { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let post):
    // Do something with the returned WFPost
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 201,
  "data": {
    "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
    "slug": null,
    "token": "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M",
    "appearance": "norm",
    "language": "",
    "rtl": false,
    "created": "2016-07-09T01:43:46Z",
    "title": "My First Post",
    "body": "This is a post.",
    "tags": [
    ]
  }
}

This creates a new post, associating it with a user account if authenticated. If the request is successful, the post will be available all of these locations:

write.as/{id}
writeasw4b635r4o3vec6mu45s47ohfyro5vayzx2zjwod4pjswyovyd.onion/{id}
paste.as/{id} -- if font was code or mono

Authentication

This can be done anonymously or while authenticated.

When the request is unauthenticated, the client should store the token returned from this request so users can modify their post later. Otherwise it isn't necessary.

Definition

POST /api/posts

Arguments

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
body	string	yes	The content of the post.
title	string	no	An optional title for the post. If none is given, WriteFreely will try to extract one for the browser's title bar, but not change any appearance in the post itself.
font	string	no	One of any post appearance types listed above. If invalid, defaults to `serif`.
lang	string	no	ISO 639-1 language code, e.g. en or de.
rtl	boolean	no	Whether or not the content should be display right-to-left, for example if written in Arabic or Hebrew.
created	date	no	An optional published date for the post, formatted `2006-01-02T15:04:05Z`.
crosspost	array	no	Must be authenticated. An array of integrations and associated usernames to post to. See Crossposting.

Returns

The newly created post.

Retrieve a Post

c := writeas.NewClient()
p, err := c.GetPost("rf3t35fkax0aw")

curl https://write.as/api/posts/rf3t35fkax0aw

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.getPost(byID: "rf3t35fkax0aw") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let post):
    // Do something with the returned WFPost
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
    "slug": null,
    "appearance": "norm",
    "language": "",
    "rtl": false,
    "created": "2016-07-09T01:43:05Z",
    "title": "My First Post",
    "body": "This is a post.",
    "tags": [  
    ],
    "views": 0
  }
}

This retrieves a post entity. It includes extra WriteFreely data, such as page views and extracted hashtags.

Definition

GET /api/posts/{POST_ID}

Update a Post

c := writeas.NewClient()
p, err := c.UpdatePost("rf3t35fkax0aw", "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M", &writeas.PostParams{
    Content: "My post is updated.",
})

curl "https://write.as/api/posts/rf3t35fkax0aw" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"token": "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M", "body": "My post is updated."}'

let client = WFClient(for "https://write.as")
let updatedPost = WFPost(body: "My post is updated.")
client.updatePost(postId: "", updatedPost: updatedPost) { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let post):
    // Do something with the returned WFPost
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
    "slug": null,
    "appearance": "norm",
    "language": "",
    "rtl": false,
    "created": "2016-07-09T01:43:05Z",
    "title": "My First Post",
    "body": "My post is updated.",
    "tags": [  
    ],
    "views": 0
  }
}

This updates an existing post.

Authentication

This can be done anonymously or while authenticated.

If done anonymously, it requires past knowledge of the existing post's token.

Definition

POST /api/posts/{POST_ID}

Arguments

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
token	string	maybe*	The post's modify token. *Required if not authenticated.
body	string	yes	The content of the post.
title	string	no	An optional title for the post. Supplying a parameter but leaving it blank will remove any title currently on the post.
font	string	no	One of any post appearance types listed above. If invalid, it doesn't change.
lang	string	no	ISO 639-1 language code, e.g. en or de.
rtl	boolean	no	Whether or not the content should be display right-to-left, for example if written in Arabic.

Returns

The entire post as it stands after the update.

Unpublish a Post

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl "https://write.as/api/posts/rf3t35fkax0aw" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"token": "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M", "body": ""}'

// Not yet implemented in the Swift package. Contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writefreely/writefreely-swift

{
  "code": 410,
  "error_msg": "Post unpublished by author."
}

This unpublishes an existing post. Simply pass an empty body to an existing post you're authorized to update, and in the future that post will return a 410 Gone status.

The client will likely want to maintain what was in the body before the post was unpublished so it can be restored later.

Definition

POST /api/posts/{POST_ID}

Arguments

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
body	string	yes	Should be an empty string (`""`).

Returns

An error 410 with a message: Post unpublished by author.

Delete a Post

c := writeas.NewClient()
err := c.DeletePost("rf3t35fkax0aw", "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M")

curl "https://write.as/api/posts/rf3t35fkax0aw?token=ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M" \
  -X DELETE

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
// Deleting a post that doesn't belong to the requesting user is currently unsupported.
client.deletePost(postId: "rf3t35fkax0aw") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Notify the user that the post was deleted successfully
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

This deletes a post.

Definition

DELETE /api/posts/{POST_ID}

Arguments

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
token	string	if unauth'd	The post's modify token.

Returns

A 204 status code and no content in the body.

Claim Posts

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
err := c.ClaimPosts(&[]OwnedPostParams{
    {
        ID:    "rf3t35fkax0aw",
        Token: "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M",
    },
})

curl "https://write.as/api/posts/claim" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '[{"id": "rf3t35fkax0aw", "token": "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M"}]'

// Not yet implemented in the Swift package. Contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writefreely/writefreely-swift

This adds unowned posts to a WriteFreely user / account.

Definition

POST /api/posts/claim

Arguments

The body should contain an array of objects with these parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
id	string	yes	ID of the post to claim
token	string	yes	Modify token of the post

Returns

A 200. Since this performs an action on multiple posts, the success/failure code are contained in each resulting post returned.

Collections

Collections are referred to as blogs on most of WriteFreely. Each gets its own shareable URL.

Each user has one collection matching their username, but can also have more collections connected to their account as a Casual or Pro user.

Create a Collection

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
coll, err := c.CreateCollection(&CollectionParams{
    Alias: "new-blog",
    Title: "The Best Blog Ever",
})

curl "https://write.as/api/collections" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"alias": "new-blog", "title": "The Best Blog Ever"}'

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.createCollection(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", withTitle: "The Best Blog Ever", alias: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let collection):
    // Do something with the returned WFCollection
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 201,
  "data": {
    "alias": "new-blog",
    "title": "The Best Blog Ever",
    "description": "",
    "style_sheet": "",
    "email": "new-blog-wjn6epspzjqankz41mlfvz@writeas.com",
    "views": 0,
    "total_posts": 0
  }
}

This creates a new collection. Casual or Pro user required.

Definition

POST /api/collections

Arguments

Clients must supply either a title or alias (or both). If only a title is given, the alias will be generated from it.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
alias	string	no	A valid collection slug / alias, containing only alphanumerics and hyphens. If none given, WriteFreely will generate a valid alias from the `title` value.
title	string	no	An optional title for the collection. If none given, WriteFreely will use the `alias` value.

Returns

The newly created collection.

Clients should store the returned alias for future operations.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 403,
  "error_msg": "You must be a Pro user to do that."
}

Error Code	Meaning
400	Request is missing required information, or has bad form data / JSON.
401	Incorrect information given.
403	You're not a Pro user.
409	Alias is taken.
412	You've reached the maximum number of collections allowed.

Retrieve a Collection

c := writeas.NewClient()
coll, err := c.GetCollection("new-blog")

curl https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.getCollection(withAlias: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let collection):
    // Do something with the returned WFCollection
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "alias": "new-blog",
    "title": "The Best Blog Ever",
    "description": "",
    "style_sheet": "",
    "public": true,
    "views": 9,
    "total_posts": 0
  }
}

This retrieves a collection and its metadata.

Authentication

Collections can be retrieved without authentication. However, authentication is required for retrieving a private collection or one with scheduled posts.

Definition

GET /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}

Returns

The requested collection.

Update a Collection

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl "https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"description": "A great blog.", "style_sheet": "body { color: blue; }"}'

// Not yet implemented in the Swift package. Contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writefreely/writefreely-swift

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "alias": "new-blog",
    "title": "The Best Blog Ever",
    "description": "A great blog.",
    "style_sheet": "body { color: blue; }",
    "script": "",
    "email": "new-blog-wjn6epspzjqankz41mlfvz@writeas.com",
    "views": 0
  }
}

This updates attributes of an existing collection.

Definition

POST /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}

Arguments

Supply only the fields you would like to update. Any fields left out will remain unchanged.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
title	string	no	The title of the collection.
description	string	no	The collection description.
style_sheet	string	no	The full custom CSS to apply to the collection. WriteFreely or Write.as Pro
script	string	no	The full custom Javascript to apply to the collection. Supported only on Write.as
visibility	integer	no	The collection Publicity setting. Must be one of the valid options listed below. WriteFreely or Write.as Pro
pass	string	no	The password required to view a password-protected blog (`visibility = 4`).
mathjax	boolean	no	Whether or not to enable MathJax rendering on the collection.

Valid `visibility` values

Valid options for the visibility field:

0 = Unlisted
1 = Public
2 = Private
4 = Password-protected; requires pass value

Returns

The newly created collection.

Errors

This endpoint will attempt to update all possible fields. It will silently skip values it cannot update, such as premium attributes on Write.as, or the Public visibility option when a WriteFreely instance isn't configured for this.

Error Code	Meaning
400	Request is missing required information, or has bad form data / JSON.
401	Incorrect information given.
403	You're not a Pro user.

Delete a Collection

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X DELETE

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.deleteCollection(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", withAlias: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Notify the user that the collection was deleted successfully
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

This permanently deletes a collection and makes any posts on it anonymous.

Definition

DELETE /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}

Returns

A 204 status code and no content in the body.

Retrieve a Collection Post

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog/posts/my-first-post

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.getPost(bySlug: "my-first-post", from: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let post):
    // Do something with the returned WFPost
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "id": "hjb7cvwaevy9eayp",
    "slug": "my-first-post",
    "appearance": "norm",
    "language": "",
    "rtl": false,
    "created": "2016-07-09T14:29:33Z",
    "title": "My First Post",
    "body": "This is a blog post.",
    "tags": [
    ],
    "views": 0
  }
}

This retrieves a single post from a collection by the post's slug.

Authentication

Collection posts can be retrieved without authentication. However, authentication is required for retrieving a post from a private collection.

Definition

GET /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}/posts/{SLUG}

Returns

The requested collection post.

Publish a Collection Post

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
p, err := c.CreatePost(&writeas.PostParams{
    Title:      "My First Post",
    Content:    "This is a post.",
    Collection: "new-blog",
})

curl "https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog/posts" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"body": "This is a blog post.", "title": "My First Post"}'

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
let post = WFPost(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", body: "This is a post.", title: "My First Post")
client.createPost(post: post, in: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let post):
    // Do something with the returned WFPost
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 201,
  "data": {
    "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
    "slug": "my-first-post",
    "token": "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M",
    "appearance": "norm",
    "language": "",
    "rtl": false,
    "created": "2016-07-09T01:43:46Z",
    "title": "My First Post",
    "body": "This is a post.",
    "tags": [
    ],
    "collection": {
      "alias": "new-blog",
      "title": "The Best Blog Ever",
      "description": "",
      "style_sheet": "",
      "public": true,
      "url": "https://write.as/new-blog/"
    }
  }
}

This creates a new post and adds it to the given collection. User must be authenticated.

Definition

POST /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}/posts

Arguments

This accepts the same arguments as anonymous posts, plus an optional crosspost parameter.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
body	string	yes	The content of the post.
title	string	no	An optional title for the post. If none given, WriteFreely will try to extract one for the browser's title bar, but not change any appearance in the post itself.
slug	string	no	An optional slug for the post. If none given, WriteFreely will automatically generate one from the given title, or from the post body if no title given.
font	string	no	One of any post appearance types listed above. If invalid, defaults to `serif`.
lang	string	no	ISO 639-1 language code, e.g. en or de.
rtl	boolean	no	Whether or not the content should be display right-to-left, for example if written in Arabic or Hebrew.
created	date	no	An optional published date for the post, formatted `2006-01-02T15:04:05Z`.
crosspost	array	no	An array of integrations and associated usernames to post to. See Crossposting.

Returns

The newly created post.

Retrieve Collection Posts

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog/posts

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.getPosts(in: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let posts):
    // Do something with the returned WFPost array
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {  
    "alias": "new-blog",
    "title": "The Best Blog Ever",
    "description": "",
    "style_sheet": "",
    "private": false,
    "total_posts": 1,
    "posts": [
      {
        "id": "hjb7cvwaevy9eayp",
        "slug": "my-first-post",
        "appearance": "norm",
        "language": "",
        "rtl": false,
        "created": "2016-07-09T14:29:33Z",
        "title": "My First Post",
        "body": "This is a blog post.",
        "tags": [
        ],
        "views": 0
      }
    ]
  }
}

This retrieves a collection's posts along with the collection's data.

Authentication

Collection posts can be retrieved without authentication. However, authentication is required for retrieving a private collection or one with scheduled posts.

Definition

GET /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}/posts

Arguments

Query string parameters can be passed to affect post presentation.

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
body	string	no	Desired post body format. Can be left blank for raw text, or `html` to get back HTML generated from Markdown.

Returns

The requested collection and its posts in a posts array.

Move a Post to a Collection

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl "https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog/collect" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '[{"id": "rf3t35fkax0aw", "token": "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M"}]'

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.movePost(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", postId: "rf3t35fkax0aw", to: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Notify the user that the post was moved successfully
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": [
    {
      "code": 200,
      "post": {
        "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
        "slug": "my-first-post",
        "token": "ozPEuJWYK8L1QsysBUcTUKy9za7yqQ4M",
        "appearance": "norm",
        "language": "",
        "rtl": false,
        "created": "2016-07-09T01:43:46Z",
        "title": "My First Post",
        "body": "This is a post.",
      }
    }
  ]
}

This adds a group of posts to a collection. This works for either posts that were created anonymously (i.e. don't belong to the user account) or posts already owned by the user account.

Definition

POST /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}/collect

Arguments

Pass an array of objects, each containing the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
id	string	yes	The ID of the post to add to the collection
token	string	maybe*	The post's modify token. *Required if the post doesn't belong to the requesting user.

Returns

A 200 at the top level for all valid, authenticated requests. data contains an array of response envelopes: each with code and post (with full post data) on success, or code and error_msg on failure for any given post.

Pin a Post to a Collection

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
err := c.PinPost(&writeas.PinnedPostParams{
    ID:       "rf3t35fkax0aw",
    Position: 1,
})

curl "https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog/pin" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '[{"id": "rf3t35fkax0aw", "position": 1}]'

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.pinPost(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", postId: "rf3t35fkax0aw", at: 1, in: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Notify the user that the post was pinned successfully
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
      "code": 200
    }
  ]
}

This pins a blog post to a collection. It'll show up as a navigation item in the collection/blog home page header, instead of on the blog itself.

Definition

POST /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}/pin

Arguments

Pass an array of objects, each containing the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
id	string	yes	The ID of the post to pin to the collection
position	integer	no	The numeric position in which to pin the post. Will pin at end of list if no parameter is given.

Returns

A 200 at the top level for all valid, authenticated requests. data contains an array of response envelopes: each with code and id, plus error_msg on failure for any given post.

Unpin a Post from a Collection

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
err := c.UnpinPost(&writeas.PinnedPostParams{
    ID: "rf3t35fkax0aw",
})

curl "https://write.as/api/collections/new-blog/unpin" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '[{"id": "rf3t35fkax0aw"}]'

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.unpinPost(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000", postId: "rf3t35fkax0aw", from: "new-blog") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Notify the user that the post was unpinned successfully
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": [
    {
      "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
      "code": 200
    }
  ]
}

This unpins a blog post from a collection. It'll remove the navigation item from the collection/blog home page header and put the post back on the blog itself.

Definition

POST /api/collections/{COLLECTION_ALIAS}/unpin

Arguments

Pass an array of objects, each containing the following parameters:

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
id	string	yes	The ID of the post to unpin from the collection

Returns

A 200 at the top level for all valid, authenticated requests. data contains an array of response envelopes: each with code and id, plus error_msg on failure for any given post.

Users

Users have posts and collections associated with them that can be accessed across devices and browsers.

WriteFreely use always requires a registered account.

Write.as doesn't require an account to interact with it. Here, accounts provide useful functionality impossible or difficult to implement client-side. It does come with the trade-off of anonymity for pseudonymity.

However, Write.as is also set up to work well pseudo- and anonymously at the same time. If your client performs actions on behalf of a user, simply send the Authorization header for user actions and leave it off for anonymous requests, saving any published posts' token like normal. Posts published anonymously can still be synced at any time, or never synced to ensure an account isn't associated with posts a user doesn't want to be associated with.

Authenticate a User

c := writeas.NewClient()
u, err := c.LogIn("matt", "12345")

curl "https://write.as/api/auth/login" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X POST \
  -d '{"alias": "matt", "pass": "12345"}'

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.login(username: "matt", password: "12345") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Do something with the returned WFUser
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "access_token": "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000",
    "user": {
      "username": "matt",
      "email": "matt@example.com",
      "created": "2015-02-03T02:41:19Z"
    }
  }
}

Authenticates a user with WriteFreely, creating an access token for future authenticated requests.

Users can only authenticate with their primary account, i.e. the first collection/blog they created, which may or may not have multiple collections associated with it.

Definition

POST /api/auth/login

Arguments

Parameter	Type	Required	Description
alias	string	yes	The user's username / alias.
pass	string	yes	The user's password.

Returns

A user access token and the authenticated user's full data.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 401,
  "error_msg": "Incorrect password."
}

Error Code	Meaning
400	Request is missing required information, or has bad form data / JSON.
401	Incorrect information given.
404	User doesn't exist.
429	You're trying to log in too many times too quickly. You shouldn't see this unless you're doing something bad (in which case, please stop that).

Log User Out

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
err := c.LogOut()

curl "https://write.as/api/auth/me" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -X DELETE

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.logout(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Notify the user that they were logged out successfully
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

Un-authenticates a user with WriteFreely, permanently invalidating the access token used with the request.

Definition

DELETE /api/auth/me

Returns

A 204 status code and no content in the body.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 404,
  "error_msg": "Token is invalid."
}

Error Code	Meaning
400	Request is missing an access token / Authorization header
404	Token is invalid.

Retrieve Authenticated User

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl "https://write.as/api/me" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X GET

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.getUserData(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success():
    // Do something with the returned WFUser
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": {
    "username": "matt"
  }
}

Definition

GET /api/me

Arguments

None.

Returns

An authenticated user's basic data.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 401,
  "error_msg": "Invalid access token."
}

Error Code	Meaning
401	Access token is invalid or expired.

Retrieve User's Posts

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
p, err := c.GetUserPosts()

curl "https://write.as/api/me/posts" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X GET

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.getPosts(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let posts):
    // Do something with the returned WFPost array
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": [
    {  
      "id": "7xe2dbojynjs1dkk",
      "slug": "cool-post",
      "appearance": "norm",
      "language": "en",
      "rtl": false,
      "created": "2017-11-12T03:49:36Z",
      "updated": "2017-11-12T03:49:36Z",
      "title": "",
      "body": "Cool post!",
      "tags": [],
      "views": 0,
      "collection": {
        "alias": "matt",
        "title": "Matt",
        "description": "My great blog!",
        "style_sheet": "",
        "public": true,
        "views": 46
      }
    },
    {
      "id": "rf3t35fkax0aw",
      "slug": null,
      "appearance": "norm",
      "language": "",
      "rtl": false,
      "created": "2016-07-09T01:43:46Z",
      "updated": "2016-07-09T01:43:46Z",
      "title": "My First Post",
      "body": "This is a post.",
      "tags": [],
      "views": 0
    }
  ]
}

Definition

GET /api/me/posts

Arguments

None.

Returns

An array of the authenticated user's posts, including anonymous and collection posts.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 401,
  "error_msg": "Invalid access token."
}

Error Code	Meaning
401	Access token is invalid or expired.

Retrieve User's Collections

c := writeas.NewClient()
c.SetToken("00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000")
colls, err := c.GetUserCollections()

curl "https://write.as/api/me/collections" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X GET

let client = WFClient(for: "https://write.as")
client.getUserCollections(token: "00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000") { result in
  switch result {
  case .success(let collections):
    // Do something with the returned WFCollection array
  case .failure(let error):
    // Do something with the returned WFError
  }
}

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": [
    {
      "alias": "matt",
      "title": "Matt",
      "description": "My great blog!",
      "style_sheet": "",
      "public": true,
      "views": 46,
      "email": "matt-7e7euebput9t5jr3v4csgferutf@writeas.com",
      "url": "https://write.as/matt/"
    }
  ]
}

Definition

GET /api/me/collections

Arguments

None.

Returns

All of an authenticated user's owned collections.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 401,
  "error_msg": "Invalid access token."
}

Error Code	Meaning
401	Access token is invalid or expired.

Retrieve User's Channels

// Currently unsupported in the Go client.
// Use curl command or contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writeas/writeas-go

curl "https://write.as/api/me/channels" \
  -H "Authorization: Token 00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -X GET

// Not yet implemented in the Swift package. Contribute at:
//   https://github.com/writefreely/writefreely-swift

{
  "code": 200,
  "data": [
    {
      "id":"twitter",
      "name":"Twitter",
      "username":"ilikebeans"
    },
    {
      "id":"mastodon",
      "url":"writing.exchange",
      "name":"writing.exchange",
      "username":"matt"
    }
  ]
}

Definition

GET /api/me/channels

Arguments

None.

Returns

An array of the authenticated user's connected channels, or integrations.

For channels that aren't a centralized service, like Mastodon, you'll also see a url property of the specific instance or host that the user has connected to.

Errors

Errors are returned with a user-friendly error message.

{
  "code": 401,
  "error_msg": "Invalid access token."
}

Error Code	Meaning
401	Access token is invalid or expired.

Integrations

Supported only on Write.as

Write.as integrates with other services on the web to provide features like crossposting upon publishing a Write.as post.

On the web, these are known as channels, and if you're logged in, they can be added here.

Crossposting

"crosspost": [
  { "twitter": "writeas__" },
  { "twitter": "ilikebeans" },
  { "medium": "someone" },
  { "tumblr": "example" }
]

Supported only on Write.as

Crossposting is easy to do when publishing a new post. It requires authentication and at least one connected integration / channel on the web.

For the crosspost parameter on a new post, pass a JSON array of single-property objects. The object's sole property should be the ID of the integration you want to crosspost to (see below), and its value should be the user's connected username on that service.

ID	Integration
twitter	Twitter
tumblr	Tumblr
medium	Medium

Missing something? Questions? Find us on Slack, IRC, or other places and ask us.

Introduction

Write.as

WriteFreely

Developers

Branding and Use

Libraries

Getting Started

Design

Terminology

Errors

Responses

Authentication

Formatting

Render Markdown

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Errors

Posts

Publish a Post

Authentication

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Retrieve a Post

Definition

Update a Post

Authentication

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Unpublish a Post

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Delete a Post

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Claim Posts

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Collections

Create a Collection

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Errors

Retrieve a Collection

Authentication

Definition

Returns

Update a Collection

Definition

Arguments

Valid visibility values

Returns

Errors

Delete a Collection

Definition

Returns

Retrieve a Collection Post

Authentication

Definition

Returns

Publish a Collection Post

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Retrieve Collection Posts

Authentication

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Move a Post to a Collection

Definition

Arguments

Returns

Pin a Post to a Collection

Valid `visibility` values