The Ably REST API provides direct HTTP access to the Ably service for publishing messages, querying history, managing authentication, and more. While we recommend using the REST SDK for most applications, the REST API is available for scenarios where an SDK is not available or practical.Documentation Index
Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/ably/docs/llms.txt
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Overview
The REST API enables you to:- Publish messages to channels
- Retrieve message and presence history
- Request authentication tokens
- Query channel metadata and statistics
- Manage push notifications
- Perform batch operations
Base URL
All REST API requests use the following base URL: For enterprise customers, custom endpoints may be available.Authentication
The REST API supports two authentication methods:Basic Authentication
Use your API key in the Authorization header:Token Authentication
Use an Ably Token or JWT in the Authorization header: Learn more about authentication.Core Endpoints
Publishing Messages
Publish messages to a channel:Message History
Retrieve message history:Presence
Query current presence:Authentication Tokens
Request an Ably Token:Request Format
Content Types
The API accepts the following content types:application/json- JSON (default)application/x-msgpack- MessagePack (binary)application/x-www-form-urlencoded- Form-encoded
Response Format
Specify the response format using the Accept header or format parameter:application/json- JSON (default)application/x-msgpack- MessagePack (binary)application/javascript- JSONPtext/html- HTML
Pagination
APIs with potentially large result sets return paginated responses: Pagination links are provided in the response headers.Rate Limits
The REST API has rate limits to ensure fair usage:- Message publish: Up to 2,000 messages per second per account
- History queries: Up to 50 requests per second per account
- Token requests: Up to 50 requests per second per account
Error Handling
Errors return standard HTTP status codes with error details: Common status codes:400- Bad Request (invalid parameters)401- Unauthorized (invalid credentials)403- Forbidden (insufficient permissions)404- Not Found (resource not found)429- Too Many Requests (rate limited)500- Internal Server Error