BBC News Internal API (pre-7)

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License: MIT

Unofficial documentation of the internal API used for the iOS and Android BBC News apps.

This documentation is for educational and research purposes only.

Versions:

Swift implementation (bbc-news-swift)

Discovery

Fetch lists of story promos

Fetch a BBC news page.

Returns data for a page that returns a list of links to stories, or the contents of an individual story (deprecated). Examples include the "Home" tab, pages for specific topic categories.

query Parameters

clientName required	string Enum: "Chrysalis" "Arabic" "Cymru" "Hindi" "Russian" "Mundo" The name of the client making the request. `"Chrysalis"` refers to the English language version of the app.
clientVersion required	string Default: "pre-6" The version of the client making the request.
service required	string Enum: "news" "arabic" "hindi" "mundo" "russian" "cymrufyw" This appears to be the BBC service which to fetch items for. `"news"` referes to the English language version of the app.
page required	string Example: page=chrysalis_discovery The ID of the page to fetch. Global examples include `"chrysalis_discovery"`, `"front_page"`, `"live_radio"`, `"media_page"`, `"topic_menu"`
type required	string Enum: "index" "topic" "asset" "topiccollection" "resolver" The type of the page being fetched.
clientLoc	string Example: clientLoc=W1A The first half of a UK postcode to customise results for.
release	string Enum: "public-alpha" "team" The release track of the API to use.
clientNeedsUpdate	boolean Default: false Does the client need to be prompted with an update.

Responses

Response samples

Content type

application/json

[{"data": {"type": "ContentResponse",
"metadata": {"name": "News App UK Front Page",
"allowAdvertising": true,
"lastUpdated": 0,
"shareUrl": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66630308"
},
"items": [{"type": "Billboard",
"items": [{"type": "StoryPromo",
"style": "BADGE_LED_PROMO_CARD",
"languageCode": "en-gb",
"text": "TikTok sues to block US law which could ban app",
"subtext": "TikTok said the measure was an \"extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights\".",
"link": {"destinations": [{"sourceFormat": null,
"url": null,
"id": null,
"presentation": null
}
],
"trackers": [{"type": null,
"payload": null
}
]
},
"updated": 0,
"topic": {"text": "Entertainment & Arts",
"title": "Entertainment & Arts",
"link": {"destinations": [null
],
"trackers": [null
]
}
},
"image": {"type": "Image",
"source": {"url": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/{width}xn/p0j04b20.jpg",
"sizingMethod": {"type": null,
"widthToken": null,
"widths": [ ]
},
"aspectRatio": 1.7777777
},
"metadata": {"altText": "Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry",
"caption": "Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry",
"copyrightText": "Getty"
}
},
"badges": [{"type": "LIVE",
"brand": "NEWS",
"text": "LIVE",
"duration": 0
}
],
"uasToken": "urn:bbc:optimo:asset:c72pqlgqe4jo"
}
]
}
],
"trackers": [{"type": "ati_v2",
"payload": {"id": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66783384",
"name": "Vladimir Putin says military cooperation with Kim Jong Un a possibility",
"page_title": "Vladimir Putin says military cooperation with Kim Jong Un a possibility",
"section": "world::asia",
"sections": "News, News - ART",
"uasToken": "urn:bbc:cps:curie:asset:320ab811-ad52-4721-aa85-27e1609aa1d6",
"bbc_content_id": "urn:bbc:cps:curie:asset:320ab811-ad52-4721-aa85-27e1609aa1d6",
"bbc_producer": "NEWS",
"bbc_content_type": "article",
"action_type": "carousel-scroll-reached-end",
"action_name": "article-onward-journey"
}
}
]
},
"contentType": "application/json; charset=utf-8"
}
]

Story

Fetch the contents of a story

Fetch a BBC news page.

Returns data for a page that returns a list of links to stories, or the contents of an individual story (deprecated). Examples include the "Home" tab, pages for specific topic categories.

query Parameters

clientName required	string Enum: "Chrysalis" "Arabic" "Cymru" "Hindi" "Russian" "Mundo" The name of the client making the request. `"Chrysalis"` refers to the English language version of the app.
clientVersion required	string Default: "pre-6" The version of the client making the request.
service required	string Enum: "news" "arabic" "hindi" "mundo" "russian" "cymrufyw" This appears to be the BBC service which to fetch items for. `"news"` referes to the English language version of the app.
page required	string Example: page=chrysalis_discovery The ID of the page to fetch. Global examples include `"chrysalis_discovery"`, `"front_page"`, `"live_radio"`, `"media_page"`, `"topic_menu"`
type required	string Enum: "index" "topic" "asset" "topiccollection" "resolver" The type of the page being fetched.
clientLoc	string Example: clientLoc=W1A The first half of a UK postcode to customise results for.
release	string Enum: "public-alpha" "team" The release track of the API to use.
clientNeedsUpdate	boolean Default: false Does the client need to be prompted with an update.

Responses

Response samples

Content type

application/json

[{"data": {"type": "ContentResponse",
"metadata": {"name": "News App UK Front Page",
"allowAdvertising": true,
"lastUpdated": 0,
"shareUrl": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66630308"
},
"items": [{"type": "Billboard",
"items": [{"type": "StoryPromo",
"style": "BADGE_LED_PROMO_CARD",
"languageCode": "en-gb",
"text": "TikTok sues to block US law which could ban app",
"subtext": "TikTok said the measure was an \"extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights\".",
"link": {"destinations": [{"sourceFormat": null,
"url": null,
"id": null,
"presentation": null
}
],
"trackers": [{"type": null,
"payload": null
}
]
},
"updated": 0,
"topic": {"text": "Entertainment & Arts",
"title": "Entertainment & Arts",
"link": {"destinations": [null
],
"trackers": [null
]
}
},
"image": {"type": "Image",
"source": {"url": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/{width}xn/p0j04b20.jpg",
"sizingMethod": {"type": null,
"widthToken": null,
"widths": [ ]
},
"aspectRatio": 1.7777777
},
"metadata": {"altText": "Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry",
"caption": "Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry",
"copyrightText": "Getty"
}
},
"badges": [{"type": "LIVE",
"brand": "NEWS",
"text": "LIVE",
"duration": 0
}
],
"uasToken": "urn:bbc:optimo:asset:c72pqlgqe4jo"
}
]
}
],
"trackers": [{"type": "ati_v2",
"payload": {"id": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66783384",
"name": "Vladimir Putin says military cooperation with Kim Jong Un a possibility",
"page_title": "Vladimir Putin says military cooperation with Kim Jong Un a possibility",
"section": "world::asia",
"sections": "News, News - ART",
"uasToken": "urn:bbc:cps:curie:asset:320ab811-ad52-4721-aa85-27e1609aa1d6",
"bbc_content_id": "urn:bbc:cps:curie:asset:320ab811-ad52-4721-aa85-27e1609aa1d6",
"bbc_producer": "NEWS",
"bbc_content_type": "article",
"action_type": "carousel-scroll-reached-end",
"action_name": "article-onward-journey"
}
}
]
},
"contentType": "application/json; charset=utf-8"
}
]

Fetch the full contents of a story.

Returns the full contents of a story.

query Parameters

clientName required	string Enum: "Chrysalis" "Arabic" "Cymru" "Hindi" "Russian" "Mundo" The name of the client making the request. `"Chrysalis"` refers to the English language version of the app.
clientVersion required	string Default: "pre-6" The version of the client making the request.
page required	string Example: page=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd11kvk1je4o The ID or URL of the page to fetch.
release	string Enum: "public-alpha" "team" The release track of the API to use.

Responses

Response samples

Content type

application/json

[{"data": {"type": "ContentResponse",
"metadata": {"name": "News App UK Front Page",
"allowAdvertising": true,
"lastUpdated": 0,
"shareUrl": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66630308"
},
"items": [{"type": "Billboard",
"items": [{"type": "StoryPromo",
"style": "BADGE_LED_PROMO_CARD",
"languageCode": "en-gb",
"text": "TikTok sues to block US law which could ban app",
"subtext": "TikTok said the measure was an \"extraordinary intrusion on free speech rights\".",
"link": {"destinations": [{"sourceFormat": null,
"url": null,
"id": null,
"presentation": null
}
],
"trackers": [{"type": null,
"payload": null
}
]
},
"updated": 0,
"topic": {"text": "Entertainment & Arts",
"title": "Entertainment & Arts",
"link": {"destinations": [null
],
"trackers": [null
]
}
},
"image": {"type": "Image",
"source": {"url": "https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/images/ic/{width}xn/p0j04b20.jpg",
"sizingMethod": {"type": null,
"widthToken": null,
"widths": [ ]
},
"aspectRatio": 1.7777777
},
"metadata": {"altText": "Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry",
"caption": "Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry",
"copyrightText": "Getty"
}
},
"badges": [{"type": "LIVE",
"brand": "NEWS",
"text": "LIVE",
"duration": 0
}
],
"uasToken": "urn:bbc:optimo:asset:c72pqlgqe4jo"
}
]
}
],
"trackers": [{"type": "ati_v2",
"payload": {"id": "https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-66783384",
"name": "Vladimir Putin says military cooperation with Kim Jong Un a possibility",
"page_title": "Vladimir Putin says military cooperation with Kim Jong Un a possibility",
"section": "world::asia",
"sections": "News, News - ART",
"uasToken": "urn:bbc:cps:curie:asset:320ab811-ad52-4721-aa85-27e1609aa1d6",
"bbc_content_id": "urn:bbc:cps:curie:asset:320ab811-ad52-4721-aa85-27e1609aa1d6",
"bbc_producer": "NEWS",
"bbc_content_type": "article",
"action_type": "carousel-scroll-reached-end",
"action_name": "article-onward-journey"
}
}
]
},
"contentType": "application/json; charset=utf-8"
}
]