Developer guide

OilPriceAPI with JavaScript / Node.js

Start with one authenticated Brent request, verify the returned source timestamp, then build outward from the canonical quickstart.

Get API key Canonical quickstart

Runtime

Node.js 18+

Environment

OILPRICEAPI_KEY

Authentication

Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY

First request

/v1/prices/latest?by_code=BRENT_CRUDE_USD

First request

Prove the API path first

Store the key as OILPRICEAPI_KEY and run the request from a trusted server process. Do not expose the key in browser bundles, logs, notebooks, or shared documents.

No test-key prefix

OilPriceAPI does not issue special test keys. Use the keyless demo endpoint or fixtures for tests; keep customer keys out of CI.

javascript

Node.js 18+

const apiKey = process.env.OILPRICEAPI_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("OILPRICEAPI_KEY is required");

const response = await fetch(
  "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/latest?by_code=BRENT_CRUDE_USD",
  { headers: { Authorization: `Token ${apiKey}` } },
);
const body = await response.json();
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(body?.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`);

console.log(body.data.code, body.data.price, body.data.created_at);

Run authenticated requests on the server so the API key never reaches browser code.

Universal curl

Compare your client with the contract

curl "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/prices/latest?by_code=BRENT_CRUDE_USD" \
  -H "Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY"

Expected shape

Read the timestamp from the response

{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "code": "BRENT_CRUDE_USD",
    "price": 78.41,
    "currency": "USD",
    "created_at": "2026-03-09T12:00:00.000Z",
    "type": "spot_price"
  }
}

Keyless first touch

Use demo data before signup

The demo route is the supported no-key path. It is rate limited and intentionally narrower than authenticated, account-entitled access.

curl "https://api.oilpriceapi.com/v1/demo/prices"

Open demo response

Recover without guessing

Result	Next action
401	Check that the header is exactly Authorization: Token YOUR_API_KEY.
402 / 403	The dataset may require a plan or account entitlement. Check pricing or contact support.
429	Read the rate-limit response and retry after the indicated reset; do not loop immediately.
Timeout / 5xx	Use a bounded timeout and exponential backoff. Keep the last valid source timestamp visible.

Current offer

7-day core commodity API trial

New accounts receive 10,000 trial requests without a credit card, followed by 200 requests per month on Free. Dataset access and limits vary by plan, source, and account entitlement.

Continue with quickstart API documentation