Community questions

Question 1

What is Agent Access?

Accepted Answer

Agent Access is an upcoming feature which allows you to connect an AI harness or a software agent to SKYDB. The agent queries SKYDB in near real time while it works, so its statements about buildings and companies come from the database. A language model on its own recalls heights and completion dates from training data that may be years old.For example, a user can ask his AI assistant which towers above 200 meters are under construction in the United States and receive a list with a reliable SKYDB record behind each line. A research agent can check the figures in a report before it goes out. The queries are paid with credits, and SKYDB Insights (Standard and Plus) as well as SKYDB Memberships (Editor and Premium) will include credits for querying through an AI assistant. Agent access will allow SKYDB members to also modify information using AI chatbots.Agent Access will be set up with each registered member. If you are interested to be an early user, send an email to info@skydb.net and explain why you want to do so. Developers who want to use SKYDB programmatically can use the SKYDB API.

Question 2

How do I get help with the SKYDB API?

Accepted Answer

Start with the API reference, where you can try a call in the browser with your token. The documents in the topic API and agent access cover tokens, credits, limits and error codes.Write to info@skydb.net, use the contact form or call +1 312 585 7680. Include the endpoint and the request_id from the meta object. Leave the token out of the message.SKYDB Insights Standard includes email support with an answer within one business day. Insights Plus includes priority support.

Question 3

May I store or republish data from the SKYDB API?

Accepted Answer

Standard access permits reading records for your own use. It is no license to store, copy, redistribute, resell or republish the data. Each API response repeats these terms in its notice field.SKYDB Insights plans cover internal use within your company, without 1:1 redistribution or sublicensing. That covers research and internal reports.Publishing needs a license, and SKYDB sells one for each case: editorial use, redistribution, white label and OEM. The exporting page and the business page describe the options, and the terms and conditions hold the general rules. Write to info@skydb.net with what you plan to publish and where.

Question 4

How is the SKYDB API versioned?

Accepted Answer

The major version is part of the path: every endpoint begins with /api/v1/. Breaking changes ship as a new major version. Each response states its version as api_version in the meta object. The API reference always describes version 1 as it runs today.New fields can appear within version 1 at any time. Write your client so that it ignores properties it does not know, and it keeps working when SKYDB adds one.The OpenAPI 3.0 document is generated from the running code. Generate your client from it, and generate it again when you want to use new fields. If your product depends on a particular field, write to info@skydb.net.

Question 5

Can I write data through the SKYDB API?

Accepted Answer

Yes. A token carries the rights of its account, so an account that may edit a record on the website may edit it through the API. The API reference lists the PUT and POST endpoints next to the read endpoints.A write passes the same validation as the edit form on the website. A rejected write returns HTTP 422 and names the field, a code and how to correct the value. Each accepted write enters the version history under the account that owns the token.Members gain editing rights by contributing, as the editors page explains. Companies that maintain their own portfolio in SKYDB can ask for a dedicated account at info@skydb.net. Write requests do not count toward the rate limits.

Question 6

How current is the data the API returns?

Accepted Answer

The SKYDB API reads the same index as the website. When an editor saves a change, the record is reindexed at once, and the next API response contains the new value. There is no nightly batch between the database and the API.Buildings change. A status moves from under construction to completed, and a height is corrected after topping out. An application that requests a record when it needs it shows the current state without any upkeep on your side.The timestamp in the meta object states when a response was produced. For an AI assistant that needs current answers during a conversation, see Agent Access in the topic API and agent access. SKYDB Insights Standard and Plus let you create alerts on the website.

Question 7

How do I page through large result sets?

Accepted Answer

List endpoints take two parameters: from, a row offset that starts at zero, and pagesize. The pagination object under meta returns total_count and has_more. The largest page size depends on the endpoint and is stated in the API reference.Start with from=0 and raise it by the page size until has_more is false. Keep the sort order fixed for the whole run, so that rows do not move between pages.For a whole country or for the buildings above a given height, an export needs far fewer requests. It delivers CSV, XLSX, JSON, GeoJSON or Parquet, once or on a schedule, and SKYDB Insights plans include credits for it. Bulk extraction beyond your plan breaks the terms and is blocked automatically.

Question 8

What format do API responses have?

Accepted Answer

Every response is a JSON object. A successful one has ok set to true, the records under data and request details under meta. The SKYDB API page shows a complete example response for one building.Timestamps follow RFC 3339 in UTC, for example 2026-08-03T07:05:24Z. Dates of a building can be partial, such as 2010 or 2010-01, because a completion year is often what the sources state. Field names carry their unit, so height_m is a height in meters.Each response also carries a notice field with the license terms. New fields can appear within version 1 at any time, so a client should ignore properties it does not know. The API reference lists the fields of each endpoint.

Question 9

What do the API error codes mean?

Accepted Answer

An error response has ok set to false and an error object with two fields. The code is a stable string your software can branch on, and the message explains the problem to a person.HTTP 401 means the token is missing or no longer valid; check it under My Settings, API. HTTP 403 means the token is valid and the account lacks the right for this endpoint; managing tokens with a token is refused this way, with the code auth.session_required.HTTP 404 means the record does not exist. HTTP 422 means a write failed validation, and the errors list names each field with a code and a message that says how to correct it. HTTP 429 carries a Retry-After header with the number of seconds to wait. The API reference lists the responses of each endpoint.When you write to info@skydb.net about an error, include the request_id from the meta object and the time of the request. Leave the token out of the message.

Question 10

Are there rate limits on the SKYDB API?

Accepted Answer

Yes. SKYDB counts read requests to the SKYDB API per minute, per hour and per day. Signed-in accounts get higher limits than anonymous visitors, and an account that is older than a week or has contributed gets higher limits again.Accounts with SKYDB Insights or the API plan are exempt from these limits. Write requests are never throttled, so a save is not lost to a limit. For a large one-time pull, an export is the better tool.A read above the limit still answers HTTP 200, but its data object contains _stub: true and a message in place of records. Check for that flag before you process a response. The header X-RateLimit-Utilization reports the share of your limit in use, so a client can slow down before it reaches 100 percent.

Question 11

Where can I see my credit balance and API usage?

Accepted Answer

The credits page shows your balance once you are signed in. My Settings, Credits adds the history: each purchase, plan allowance and deduction with its date and reason.My Settings, Usage shows what your account retrieved in the last 7, 30 or 90 days or in the last year. It breaks the requests down by token and by endpoint and lists the records accessed most often.The token list under My Settings, API shows when each token was last used, which is the quickest way to find one that is no longer needed. If a number looks wrong, write to info@skydb.net with the token name and the period.

Question 12

How are credits charged for API requests?

Accepted Answer

SKYDB bills API access in credits. One credit covers one row of data, the same unit the export uses. The credits page and your plan state the current rates.The yearly allowance of an SKYDB Insights plan and the packs you buy go into one balance. When a delivery is charged, the credits that expire first are spent first. Creating tokens and reading the API reference cost nothing.My Settings, Credits lists each purchase, allowance and deduction with its date and reason. If a deduction does not match what you requested, write to info@skydb.net with the date and the token name.

Question 13

What happens when my credits run out?

Accepted Answer

SKYDB never takes part of a balance. A delivery that needs more credits than you hold is refused as a whole, the balance stays as it was, and the answer names the number of credits left.Your token, your account and your saved searches stay as they are. To continue, buy a pack on the credits page. Larger packs lower the price per credit.If the balance runs out often, a yearly allowance is the steadier choice. SKYDB Insights Standard and Plus include credits per seat each year. For volumes above the largest pack, ask for a quote at info@skydb.net.

Question 14

What does SKYDB API access cost?

Accepted Answer

Creating an account and a token costs nothing. The data you retrieve is billed in SKYDB credits, the same unit that pays for exports. The credits page shows the current price of a single credit and of the packs, which lower the price per credit as they get larger.SKYDB Insights Standard and Plus include API access and a yearly credit allowance per seat. A plan adds the expert search and alerts on the website to the API access. An integration that needs only the interface takes the API plan on the SKYDB API page and pays for the data with usage credits.Higher volumes and redistribution rights are priced by quote. Write to info@skydb.net with the number of records you expect to request per month.

Question 15

How do I set access rights for an API token?

Accepted Answer

A token never has more rights than the account that created it. What you may read or edit on the website is what your token may read or edit through the API. A role taken from the account is taken from its tokens at the same moment.Access rights for tokens are set under My Settings, Access. The page lists the roles assigned to your account and the permissions that result from them. Each permission names a resource and one of five actions: list, read, create, update or delete.Give a token only the rights its job needs. A dashboard that displays heights needs read access and nothing more, and a token limited that way cannot change a record if it leaks. Teams on SKYDB Insights that need rights for several seats can write to info@skydb.net.

Question 16

What do I do if an API token leaks?

Accepted Answer

Revoke it at once under My Settings, API. Revocation takes effect with the next request, and a revoked token cannot be restored. Then create a new token and put it into your application.My Settings, Usage shows the requests of each token by endpoint, with the time of the last call. Compare it with what your own systems sent. Requests you cannot explain belong in a message to info@skydb.net, since they may have spent credits.A leaked token cannot create further tokens, because token management requires a signed-in browser session. Keep tokens out of source code and URLs, and give each application its own token with an expiry date.

Question 17

How do I create an API token?

Accepted Answer

Sign in and open My Settings, API. Enter a name that says what the token is for, such as "Reporting server", and choose an expiry: never, 30 days, 90 days or one year. Then select Create token.SKYDB shows the token once, directly after creation. Copy it into your password manager or your server's secret store at that moment. SKYDB keeps only a hash of it, so nobody, support included, can show it to you again.You can hold several tokens at a time, one per application, so that revoking one leaves the others working. The list on the same page shows when each token was created, when it expires and when it was last used. Creating a token is free; the data you request with it is billed in credits or covered by an SKYDB Insights plan.

Question 18

How do I authenticate an API request?

Accepted Answer

The SKYDB API uses Bearer tokens as defined in RFC 6750. Every request carries the header Authorization: Bearer, followed by a space and your token. The base address is https://www.skydb.net/api/v1/, and there is no separate sign-in step and no session to keep alive.A request without a token returns HTTP 401 with the code api.access_token_required. An expired or revoked token returns HTTP 401 with the code auth.signin_required, the same answer an unknown token gets, so a wrong guess reveals nothing. If a token that used to work stops working, check its expiry date under My Settings, API.Send the token in the header and never in the URL, because URLs end up in logs. Server-side code should set a descriptive User-Agent, since a generic one such as a bare curl agent can be refused at the network edge. The API reference has an Authorize button for trying a token in the browser, and the SKYDB API page shows a complete example request.

Question 19

Where is the SKYDB API documentation?

Accepted Answer

The API reference lists the endpoints by group, such as structure, region, company and file. Each entry shows its parameters, the response fields and a worked example. After you enter a token, the page sends real requests, so you can test a call before writing code.The same content is available as a machine-readable OpenAPI 3.0 document. Code generators turn it into a typed client for Python, JavaScript, PHP or another language. An AI coding assistant can read the document too and write the integration from it.The reference is generated from the running code, so it describes the version that is live. The SKYDB API page explains how access is paid. Questions the reference leaves open go to info@skydb.net.

Question 20

Who can use the SKYDB API?

Accepted Answer

The API needs a SKYDB account. Joining SKYDB is free, and a signed-in member creates a token under My Settings, API. A request without a token is refused with the error code api.access_token_required.API access is a paid service billed in credits. Subscribers of SKYDB Insights Standard and Plus have API access and a yearly credit allowance as part of their plan. A team that needs only the interface takes the API plan on the SKYDB API page and pays for the data with usage credits.A token has the rights of the account behind it. An editor's token can change records, and a member's token reads what that member can read on the website. Companies that want to publish or resell the data need a license, which the business page explains.

Submitting information

Can I delete my submitted files whenever I want?

Getting started as a member

How can I communicate with other members?

How can I delete a building?

How can I remove false or outdated information?

How can I set my files to public domain?

How can I submit an update for a project?

How can I upload photos?

How do I create a collection?

How do I link a building to a company?

How is the Building of the Week determined?

How related objects work

How to add a building

Mistakes to avoid

My submission is not displayed. What can I do?

What determines the sequence of images?

What do object ratings mean?

What does SDC mean?

What is a scope?

What kind of objects does SKYDB support?

Why do data sources matter?