APILive

No key is needed. It is free, read-only, and allows 120 requests a minute. If you need more for research, email support@askdover.org.

Endpoints

• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets lists every dataset.

• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/{id} describes one dataset: its tables, fields, source and license.

• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/{id}/rows returns rows from a dataset that can be shared.

• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/{id}/changes?since=2026-11-01 returns only rows added or changed since that date, for tables that record it (changes: true in the dataset’s tables). Rows removed at the source are not listed, so download the whole table now and then.

• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/openapi.json describes the whole API in OpenAPI 3.1, to generate a client or explore it.

Rows come in pages. Use table to pick one of the dataset’s tables (the first is the default), limit for up to 1,000 rows (100 is the default), and cursor with the next_cursor from the page before. The next link has all three filled in.

curl "https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/dover-crime-history/rows?table=crime_history_years&limit=50"

Downloads

Every table of a shareable dataset can be downloaded whole. The files are saved each morning after our data updates, and a dated copy is kept each day the data changes, so you can cite the exact version you used:

• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/{id}/download/{table}.csv
• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/{id}/download/{table}.json
• GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/{id}/download/README.txt, with the license and credit line

Add ?date=2026-11-07 to any download link for the copy from that day. GET https://api.opendover.org/v1/datasets/{id}/versions lists the dates. Each dataset page on this site has the links. In the CSV files, text a spreadsheet would treat as a formula starts with an apostrophe; the JSON files hold the values exactly.

What every response includes

Each dataset response has a meta object with the source_urls, license_id, license_url, the attribution line to credit, retrieved_at (when we last fetched the data from its source) and the api_version.

Please credit the data with its attribution line. Data OpenDover builds itself, like City Council votes, is CC BY 4.0.

What it does not include

Only datasets whose license we have checked are in the API, the same ones listed on the data page. Nothing about AskDover’s visitors or the questions they ask is ever part of the API.

Changes

This is version 1. We may add fields and datasets. We will not remove or rename fields in version 1; that would be a version 2, and version 1 would keep working for at least a year. Every change is posted in the changelog.

The AskDover API that answered at api.opendover.org/api/v1 was retired on November 2, 2026, and now points here.