# Bluesky Data API (https://www.socialcrawl.dev/platforms/bluesky)

> Bluesky API: 3 endpoints for profiles, user post feeds, and post details with threaded replies. Every call costs 1 credit, and new accounts start with 100 free credits — no credit card. Plain REST with one x-api-key: no AT Protocol sessions, XRPC lexicons, DIDs, or app passwords to manage.

TL;DR: SocialCrawl's Bluesky API exposes 3 endpoints, 1 credit per call, all returning one unified JSON schema with AI-enriched fields. Single x-api-key auth, 100 free credits on signup.

## Endpoints

| Endpoint | Method | Path | Credits | Description |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Profile | GET | `/v1/bluesky/profile` | 1 | Get a Bluesky profile |
| User Posts | GET | `/v1/bluesky/user/posts` | 1 | List a Bluesky user's posts |
| Post | GET | `/v1/bluesky/post` | 1 | Get a Bluesky post |

## Code example

```bash
curl "https://www.socialcrawl.dev/v1/bluesky/profile?handle=espn.com" \
  -H "x-api-key: sc_YOUR_API_KEY"
```

Every response shares one JSON envelope: `{ success, platform, endpoint, data, credits_used, credits_remaining }`.

## SocialCrawl vs AT Protocol (direct)

| Feature | SocialCrawl | AT Protocol (direct) |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Authentication | One x-api-key header | Session-based auth with app passwords or OAuth |
| Setup / approval | Sign up and call immediately | No approval queue, but you build an XRPC client with lexicons and DIDs |
| Rate limits | Credit-based — pay per request | Per-account and per-IP limits you manage yourself |
| Response schema | Unified JSON shared across 44 platforms | AT Protocol records with lexicon-specific shapes |
| Pricing | 1 credit per request; 100 free credits on signup | Free — you pay in engineering and infrastructure time |
| Data coverage | Profiles, post feeds, and reply threads — read-only | Full network access including posting, firehose streams, and custom feeds |
| Maintenance | Schema stays stable when Bluesky changes internals | You track lexicon and protocol evolution |

## FAQ

### How do I scrape Bluesky data with an API?

SocialCrawl exposes 3 Bluesky endpoints — profile, user posts, and post details with threaded replies. Send a GET request with your x-api-key and a handle or post URL; you get normalized JSON back with no AT Protocol session, no XRPC client, and no app password.

### Is there a Bluesky data API?

Yes. SocialCrawl is a Bluesky data API that returns profiles, user post feeds, and posts with threaded replies as unified JSON from a single GET. Bluesky runs on the open AT Protocol, so the official route is fully capable: it lets you post, stream the firehose, and run custom feeds, but it means building an XRPC client with lexicons, DIDs, and session auth. When you only need to read public data, SocialCrawl skips that with one x-api-key across 3 REST endpoints, and 100 free credits to start.

### Do I need an AT Protocol client or Bluesky app password?

No. The official Bluesky API speaks XRPC with lexicons, DIDs, and session-based auth. SocialCrawl wraps all of that behind plain REST: one x-api-key header, standard GET requests, and the same response envelope used across the other 40+ platforms we support.

### What Bluesky endpoints does SocialCrawl offer?

3 endpoints: Profile, User Posts, and Post. All return the unified SocialCrawl schema.

### How is this different from the Bluesky firehose?

The Bluesky firehose streams every event on the network — you filter, decode CBOR, and maintain consumers yourself. SocialCrawl is request-based: ask for one profile, feed, or post and get clean JSON in a single GET. For monitoring specific accounts or posts, request-based is far less infrastructure.

### How much does the Bluesky API cost?

Each Bluesky request costs 1 credit on the standard tier. New accounts get 100 free credits with no credit card required — enough to test all 3 endpoints end-to-end before you pay anything.

### Is scraping Bluesky data legal?

SocialCrawl reads only publicly visible Bluesky data — public profiles, public posts, and public replies. You are responsible for complying with Bluesky's Terms of Service and any data protection regulations that apply to your use case, especially for research datasets. SocialCrawl operates under a documented GDPR legitimate-interest framework: public, logged-out data only, no credential use, short-lived caches (2 to 30 minutes) with no persistent store, and a public opt-out channel for anyone whose public info appears in responses. Full details: socialcrawl.dev/legal/public-data-notice.

### What is the best Bluesky scraper API?

For reading public Bluesky data without building an AT Protocol client, SocialCrawl is the simplest option: 3 REST endpoints for profiles, user post feeds, and posts with threaded replies, each costing 1 credit. New accounts get 100 free credits with no credit card — no XRPC, lexicons, DIDs, or app passwords.

## Pricing

- Standard endpoints: 1 credit per call
- Advanced endpoints: 5 credits per call
- Premium endpoints: 10 credits per call
- 100 free credits on signup, no credit card required. Cached responses cost 0 credits. Credit packs never expire.
- Full pricing: https://www.socialcrawl.dev/pricing

## Explore with AI

Questions this API answers, phrased for an AI assistant:

- What is the SocialCrawl Bluesky API?
- How does SocialCrawl scrape Bluesky profiles and posts without an AT Protocol client?
- Compare SocialCrawl vs the official Bluesky AT Protocol API for reading public data