API Codex
Getting Started

Getting Started with API Codex

Get up and running with API Codex APIs in just a few minutes. This guide will walk you through the essential steps to integrate our APIs into your application.

Prerequisites

Before you begin, make sure you have:

  • A RapidAPI account (free to sign up)
  • Your RapidAPI key
  • A programming environment set up (Node.js, Python, PHP, etc.)

Step 1: Obtain Your RapidAPI Key

All API Codex APIs are available through RapidAPI and require authentication using a RapidAPI key. To get your API key:

  1. Sign up for a free RapidAPI account at rapidapi.com
  2. Visit the API Codex organization page
  3. Subscribe to the APIs you want to use (free tier available)
  4. Find your API key in the RapidAPI dashboard or in the code snippets
  5. Store your API key securely - never expose it in client-side code

Step 2: Choose Your API

Browse our APIs on RapidAPI or in our API Catalog to find the API that fits your needs:

  • DNS API - For DNS lookups and domain information
  • Email Intelligence API - For email validation and verification
  • Email Deliverability API - For email sending optimization
  • Parser APIs - For extracting data from documents (resumes, invoices, receipts)
  • Text Analysis API - For text processing and insights
  • SERP API - For search engine results

Each API page on RapidAPI includes:

  • Interactive API playground for testing
  • Code snippets in multiple languages
  • Detailed endpoint documentation
  • Pricing tiers and rate limits

Step 3: Make Your First API Call

Here's a basic example of making an API call to the Advanced DNS Lookup API:

Using cURL

bashCode
 
# Forward DNS lookup for a domain
curl -X GET "https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=example.com&type=A" \
  -H "x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY" \
  -H "x-rapidapi-host: advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com"

# Reverse DNS lookup for an IP address
curl -X GET "https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?ip=8.8.8.8" \
  -H "x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY" \
  -H "x-rapidapi-host: advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com"

Using JavaScript (Node.js)

javascriptCode
 
const fetch = require('node-fetch');

// Forward DNS lookup
const forwardLookup = async () => {
  const options = {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'x-rapidapi-key': 'YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY',
      'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
    }
  };

  try {
    const response = await fetch('https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=example.com&type=A', options);
    const data = await response.json();
    console.log('Forward lookup result:', data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error:', error);
  }
};

// Reverse DNS lookup
const reverseLookup = async () => {
  const options = {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'x-rapidapi-key': 'YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY',
      'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
    }
  };

  try {
    const response = await fetch('https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?ip=8.8.8.8', options);
    const data = await response.json();
    console.log('Reverse lookup result:', data);
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error:', error);
  }
};

// Execute the lookups
forwardLookup();
reverseLookup();

Using Python

pythonCode
 
import requests

# Forward DNS lookup
def forward_lookup():
    url = "https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check"
    
    querystring = {
        "name": "example.com",
        "type": "A"
    }
    
    headers = {
        "x-rapidapi-key": "YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY",
        "x-rapidapi-host": "advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com"
    }
    
    try:
        response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=querystring)
        response.raise_for_status()
        data = response.json()
        print("Forward lookup result:", data)
        return data
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")
        return None

# Reverse DNS lookup
def reverse_lookup():
    url = "https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check"
    
    querystring = {
        "ip": "8.8.8.8"
    }
    
    headers = {
        "x-rapidapi-key": "YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY",
        "x-rapidapi-host": "advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com"
    }
    
    try:
        response = requests.get(url, headers=headers, params=querystring)
        response.raise_for_status()
        data = response.json()
        print("Reverse lookup result:", data)
        return data
    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")
        return None

# Execute the lookups
if __name__ == "__main__":
    forward_lookup()
    reverse_lookup()

Using PHP

phpCode
 
<?php

// Forward DNS lookup function
function forwardLookup($domain, $type = 'A') {
    $curl = curl_init();
    
    $url = "https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name={$domain}&type={$type}";
    
    curl_setopt_array($curl, [
        CURLOPT_URL => $url,
        CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
        CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
        CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
        CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
        CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
        CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET",
        CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
            "x-rapidapi-host: advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com",
            "x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY"
        ],
    ]);
    
    $response = curl_exec($curl);
    $err = curl_error($curl);
    
    curl_close($curl);
    
    if ($err) {
        echo "cURL Error: " . $err;
        return null;
    } else {
        $data = json_decode($response, true);
        echo "Forward lookup result for {$domain}:\n";
        print_r($data);
        return $data;
    }
}

// Reverse DNS lookup function
function reverseLookup($ip) {
    $curl = curl_init();
    
    $url = "https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?ip={$ip}";
    
    curl_setopt_array($curl, [
        CURLOPT_URL => $url,
        CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER => true,
        CURLOPT_ENCODING => "",
        CURLOPT_MAXREDIRS => 10,
        CURLOPT_TIMEOUT => 30,
        CURLOPT_HTTP_VERSION => CURL_HTTP_VERSION_1_1,
        CURLOPT_CUSTOMREQUEST => "GET",
        CURLOPT_HTTPHEADER => [
            "x-rapidapi-host: advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com",
            "x-rapidapi-key: YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY"
        ],
    ]);
    
    $response = curl_exec($curl);
    $err = curl_error($curl);
    
    curl_close($curl);
    
    if ($err) {
        echo "cURL Error: " . $err;
        return null;
    } else {
        $data = json_decode($response, true);
        echo "Reverse lookup result for {$ip}:\n";
        print_r($data);
        return $data;
    }
}

// Execute the lookups
forwardLookup('example.com', 'A');
reverseLookup('8.8.8.8');

?>

Step 4: Handle API Responses

The DNS API returns different response structures based on the type of lookup:

Forward Lookup Response

jsonCode
 
{
  "name": "example.com",
  "records": {
    "A": [
      {
        "name": "example.com",
        "TTL": 300,
        "data": "93.184.216.34"
      }
    ],
    "AAAA": [
      {
        "name": "example.com",
        "TTL": 300,
        "data": "2606:2800:220:1:248:1893:25c8:1946"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Reverse Lookup Response

jsonCode
 
{
  "ip": "8.8.8.8",
  "records": {
    "PTR": [
      {
        "name": "dns.google",
        "TTL": 300,
        "data": "dns.google"
      }
    ]
  }
}

Error Response

jsonCode
 
{
  "error": "Please provide either an ip address or a domain name."
}

Step 5: Implement Error Handling

Always implement proper error handling in your application:

javascriptCode
 
const dnsLookupWithErrorHandling = async (domain) => {
  const options = {
    method: 'GET',
    headers: {
      'x-rapidapi-key': 'YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY',
      'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
    }
  };

  try {
    const response = await fetch(
      `https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=${domain}&type=A`,
      options
    );
    
    if (!response.ok) {
      throw new Error(`HTTP error! status: ${response.status}`);
    }
    
    const data = await response.json();
    
    // Check if the response contains an error
    if (data.error) {
      console.error('API Error:', data.error);
      return null;
    }
    
    // Process successful response
    console.log('DNS lookup successful:', data);
    
    // Extract A records if they exist
    if (data.records && data.records.A) {
      console.log('A records:', data.records.A);
    }
    
    return data;
    
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Network or parsing error:', error);
    return null;
  }
};

// Usage
dnsLookupWithErrorHandling('example.com');

Authentication Best Practices

RapidAPI Authentication

All API Codex APIs use RapidAPI's authentication system with the x-rapidapi-key header. This provides:

  • Unified authentication across all APIs
  • Automatic key rotation capabilities
  • Built-in security features
  • Usage tracking and analytics

Keep Your RapidAPI Key Secure

  • Never expose your RapidAPI key in client-side code
  • Never commit API keys to version control
  • Use environment variables to store API keys
  • Rotate your API keys regularly through RapidAPI dashboard

Environment Variables Example

javascriptCode
 
// .env file
RAPIDAPI_KEY=your_rapidapi_key_here

// Your application
require('dotenv').config();
const rapidApiKey = process.env.RAPIDAPI_KEY;

const headers = {
  'x-rapidapi-key': rapidApiKey,
  'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
};

Rate Limiting

Rate limits are managed through RapidAPI based on your subscription tier:

  • Basic (Free): Varies by API (typically 100-1000 requests/month)
  • Pro: Higher limits with better performance
  • Ultra: Maximum limits for production use
  • Mega: Enterprise-grade limits

RapidAPI provides rate limit headers in responses:

  • x-ratelimit-requests-limit: Maximum requests allowed
  • x-ratelimit-requests-remaining: Remaining requests
  • x-ratelimit-requests-reset: Reset timestamp

You can monitor your usage in real-time through the RapidAPI dashboard.

Common Integration Patterns

Batch Processing

For multiple DNS lookups, process them sequentially or in parallel:

javascriptCode
 
// Sequential processing
const domains = ['example.com', 'google.com', 'github.com'];
const results = [];

for (const domain of domains) {
  try {
    const response = await fetch(
      `https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=${domain}&type=A`,
      {
        method: 'GET',
        headers: {
          'x-rapidapi-key': 'YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY',
          'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
        }
      }
    );
    const data = await response.json();
    results.push({ domain, data });
  } catch (error) {
    console.error(`Error looking up ${domain}:`, error);
  }
}

console.log('Batch results:', results);

// Parallel processing (be mindful of rate limits)
const parallelLookups = domains.map(domain => 
  fetch(
    `https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=${domain}&type=A`,
    {
      method: 'GET',
      headers: {
        'x-rapidapi-key': 'YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY',
        'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
      }
    }
  ).then(response => response.json())
);

const parallelResults = await Promise.allSettled(parallelLookups);
console.log('Parallel results:', parallelResults);

Webhook Integration

For long-running operations, use webhooks to receive results:

javascriptCode
 
const webhookRequest = {
  callback_url: 'https://your-app.com/webhook',
  data: {
    // Your request data
  }
};

Caching Responses

Implement caching based on DNS TTL values:

javascriptCode
 
const cache = new Map();

async function getCachedDNSData(domain, type = 'A') {
  const cacheKey = `${domain}:${type}`;
  const cached = cache.get(cacheKey);
  
  // Check if cached data is still valid based on TTL
  if (cached && Date.now() < cached.expiresAt) {
    console.log('Returning cached data for', cacheKey);
    return cached.data;
  }
  
  // Fetch fresh data
  const data = await fetchDNSData(domain, type);
  
  if (data && data.records) {
    // Use the minimum TTL from all records for cache expiration
    let minTTL = Infinity;
    Object.values(data.records).forEach(recordArray => {
      recordArray.forEach(record => {
        if (record.TTL < minTTL) {
          minTTL = record.TTL;
        }
      });
    });
    
    // Cache the data with TTL-based expiration
    const expiresAt = Date.now() + (minTTL * 1000); // TTL is in seconds
    cache.set(cacheKey, { data, expiresAt });
    console.log(`Cached ${cacheKey} for ${minTTL} seconds`);
  }
  
  return data;
}

async function fetchDNSData(domain, type) {
  const response = await fetch(
    `https://advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com/v1/check?name=${domain}&type=${type}`,
    {
      method: 'GET',
      headers: {
        'x-rapidapi-key': 'YOUR_RAPIDAPI_KEY',
        'x-rapidapi-host': 'advanced-dns-lookup-api.p.rapidapi.com'
      }
    }
  );
  return response.json();
}

Testing Your Integration

Testing Your Integration

RapidAPI Playground

The easiest way to test API Codex APIs is through RapidAPI's built-in playground:

  1. Navigate to any API Codex API on RapidAPI
  2. Select an endpoint from the left sidebar
  3. Fill in the required parameters
  4. Click "Test Endpoint"
  5. View the response instantly

The playground automatically includes your authentication headers and shows code snippets in multiple languages.

Free Tier Testing

All API Codex APIs offer a free tier on RapidAPI, perfect for:

  • Development and testing
  • Proof of concept projects
  • Small applications
  • Learning and experimentation

Next Steps

Now that you've made your first API call, you can:

  1. Explore More APIs - Browse all API Codex APIs on RapidAPI
  2. Use the API Playground - Test endpoints directly in your browser
  3. Check the API Catalog - View detailed documentation in our API Catalog
  4. Monitor Usage - Track your API calls in the RapidAPI dashboard
  5. Upgrade Your Plan - Scale up as your needs grow

Need Help?

  • RapidAPI Dashboard: Monitor usage and manage subscriptions at rapidapi.com
  • API Documentation: Check our comprehensive API Catalog
  • Interactive Testing: Use RapidAPI's playground to test endpoints instantly
  • Code Examples: Get auto-generated code snippets in 20+ languages
  • Support: Contact support through RapidAPI or reach out to our team

Ready to build something amazing? Start integrating API Codex APIs through RapidAPI today!

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