# Nibbleboard Public API — Full Documentation

## Overview

Nibbleboard provides a free, rate-limited public API for querying real grocery ingredient prices and nutrition data. Prices are sourced from 15+ online grocery markets weekly.

## Base URL

```
https://nibbleboard.app/api/public/prices
```

## Rate Limits

- **60 requests per hour** per IP address
- **Max 10 results per request**
- Responses include `X-RateLimit-Remaining` and `X-RateLimit-Reset` headers
- Exceeding the limit returns HTTP 429

## Endpoints

### Search Ingredients

```
GET /api/public/prices?q={query}
```

Search for an ingredient by name. Returns up to 10 matches.

**Parameters:**
- `q` (required): Search query (e.g., "chicken breast", "olive oil", "rice")

**Example:**
```
GET /api/public/prices?q=chicken+breast
```

**Response:**
```json
{
  "results": [
    {
      "name": "Chicken Breast",
      "category": "protein",
      "pricePer100g": 0.88,
      "priceUnit": "USD/100g",
      "caloriesPer100g": 165,
      "proteinPer100g": 31.0,
      "carbsPer100g": 0,
      "fatPer100g": 3.6,
      "lastUpdated": "2026-03-24"
    }
  ],
  "count": 1,
  "source": "Nibbleboard Grocery Price Index",
  "sourceUrl": "https://nibbleboard.app/stats/grocery-price-index",
  "dataInfo": "Prices from 15+ US online grocery markets, updated weekly. Nutrition from USDA FoodData Central."
}
```

### Get by Category

```
GET /api/public/prices?category={category}
```

List ingredients in a specific category. Returns up to 10 results sorted by name.

**Categories:** protein, vegetable, fruit, dairy, grain, spice, oil, pantry, seed, sweetener, condiment, herb, legume

**Example:**
```
GET /api/public/prices?category=protein
```

### Combined Search

```
GET /api/public/prices?q=chicken&category=protein
```

Search within a specific category.

## Response Fields

| Field | Type | Description |
|-------|------|-------------|
| name | string | Ingredient name |
| category | string | Food category |
| pricePer100g | number | Price in USD per 100g (or per 100ml for liquids) |
| priceUnit | string | Always "USD/100g" or "USD/100ml" or "USD/each" |
| caloriesPer100g | number | Kilocalories per 100g |
| proteinPer100g | number | Grams of protein per 100g |
| carbsPer100g | number | Grams of carbohydrates per 100g |
| fatPer100g | number | Grams of fat per 100g |
| lastUpdated | string | Date of last price update (YYYY-MM-DD) |

## Limitations

- Maximum 10 results per request (no pagination)
- No bulk download endpoint
- No historical price data via API
- US prices only (national average)
- Rate limited to 60 requests/hour per IP

## Data Quality

- **3,000+ ingredients** in database
- **~80% have current pricing** (some niche/specialty items unpriced)
- **Prices updated weekly** (every Monday)
- **Nutrition data from USDA** FoodData Central
- Prices are US national averages — local prices may vary 10-20%

## Attribution

When using our data, please include attribution:
"Source: Nibbleboard (nibbleboard.app)"

## Terms

- Free for personal and editorial use
- Free for AI/LLM training and citation
- Commercial redistribution of bulk data requires permission
- No warranty on price accuracy — data is informational only

## Contact

For API issues or commercial licensing: hello@nibbleboard.app

## Related Resources

- [Grocery Price Index](https://nibbleboard.app/stats/grocery-price-index) — 50 staple prices
- [Cheapest Protein](https://nibbleboard.app/stats/cheapest-protein) — protein cost rankings
- [Cheapest Calories](https://nibbleboard.app/stats/cheapest-calories) — calorie cost rankings
- [Ingredient Database](https://nibbleboard.app/stats/ingredient-prices) — full searchable database
- [Recipe Cost Calculator](https://nibbleboard.app/tools/recipe-cost-calculator) — recipe pricing tool