# lemmy.search_posts

**stable** **Advanced**

Search Lemmy posts.

`GET /v1/lemmy/search_posts`

## What you get

A list of Lemmy results in Onekey's unified shape, in `data` (an array). An empty array is a normal, successful answer and is charged like any other; a source that reports "nothing found" as an error returns a free `404 not_found` instead.

**Also works with:** [Multi-platform search](https://onekey.dev/docs/search-multi.md#multi-platform-search) as the Lemmy search leg. Any [batch](https://onekey.dev/docs/batch.md) can include it.

## What it costs

- **Advanced · 5 credits** for a fresh fetch, charged only when it succeeds.
- **Free when served from cache (0.2 credit for a cached response over 100 KB).**
- **Free** if the request is invalid (never charged) or the source fails or reports not found (refunded).

## Parameters

| Name | Type | Required | Default | What it is | Constraints |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `instance` | string | no | - | Known Lemmy instance (allowlisted), default lemmy.world | max 253 chars; must match `[a-z0-9.-]{3,253}`; trimmed, lowercased |
| `q` | string | yes | (required) | Search query | max 200 chars; trimmed, repeated spaces collapsed |

## Request

```bash
curl "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/lemmy/search_posts?q=python" \
  -H "x-api-key: YOUR_API_KEY"
```

```python
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.onekey.dev/v1/lemmy/search_posts",
    params={"q": "python"},
    headers={"x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY"},
)
body = res.json()

if body["success"]:
    print(body["data"])
else:
    print(body["error"]["code"], body["error"]["message"])
```

```javascript
const params = new URLSearchParams({ q: "python" });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.onekey.dev/v1/lemmy/search_posts?${params}`, {
  headers: { "x-api-key": "YOUR_API_KEY" },
});
const body = await res.json();

if (body.success) console.log(body.data);
else console.error(body.error.code, body.error.message);
```

## Recorded response

A real Lemmy response, recorded and returned in Onekey's shape. Fields the platform does not provide are `null`.

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "data": [
    {
      "content": {
        "id": "38004136",
        "title": "Python Foundation rejects $1.5M grant from NSF with \"no-DEI\" strings",
        "text": "National Science Foundation (NSF) had offered $1.5 million to address structural vulnerabilities in Python and the Python Package Index (PyPI), but the Foundation quickly became dispirited with the terms of the grant it would have to follow. \n\n\"These terms included affirming the statement that we 'do not, and will not during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI [diversity, equity, and inclusion], or discriminatory equity ideology in violation of Federal anti-discrimination laws,'\" Crary noted. \"This restriction would apply not only to the security work directly funded by the grant, but to any and all activity of the PSF as a whole.\"",
        "url": "https://www.theregister.com/2025/10/27/python_foundation_abandons_15m_nsf/",
        "createdAt": "2025-10-28T20:20:31Z"
      },
      "ext": {
        "apUrl": "https://lemmy.ca/post/54183496",
        "languageId": 37,
        "title": "Technology"
      },
      "author": {
        "id": "542743",
        "username": "brianpeiris",
        "displayName": null,
        "url": "https://lemmy.ca/u/brianpeiris",
        "avatarUrl": null
      },
      "entity": {
        "name": "technology"
      },
      "engagement": {
        "likes": 1480,
        "comments": 144
      }
    },
    {
      "content": {
        "id": "3474566",
        "title": "Do they also know C++ or Python?",
        "text": null,
        "url": "https://lemmus.org/pictrs/image/9044b87f-bd10-4ee1-bd45-a5a63bd8f8fa.webp",
        "createdAt": "2023-08-20T03:25:36Z"
      },
      "ext": {
        "apUrl": "https://lemmus.org/post/382375",
        "languageId": 0,
        "title": "Lemmy Shitpost"
      },
      "author": {
        "id": "1113518",
        "username": "jimmydoreisalefty",
        "displayName": "jimmydoreisalefty",
        "url": "https://lemmus.org/u/jimmydoreisalefty",
        "avatarUrl": "https://lemmus.org/pictrs/image/2d44d929-f4b8-49a0-ae00-82c5b736e068.webp"
      },
      "entity": {
        "name": "lemmyshitpost"
      },
      "engagement": {
        "likes": 1353,
        "comments": 158
      }
    }
  ],
  "metadata": {
    "platform": "lemmy",
    "endpoint": "search_posts",
    "cached": false,
    "stale": false,
    "age_s": 0,
    "fetched_at": "2026-01-01T12:00:00+00:00",
    "credits_charged": 5,
    "request_id": "7f3a9c2e5b1d4c8fa2e6d0b9c4f18e37"
  },
  "error": null
}
```

## Field mapping

How this endpoint's source fields become Onekey's [unified schema](https://onekey.dev/docs/schema.md). Fields the source lacks come back as `null`.

| Source path | Onekey field | Transform |
| --- | --- | --- |
| `post.id` | `content.id` | `toString` |
| `post.name` | `content.title` | - |
| `post.body` | `content.text` | - |
| `post.url` | `content.url` | `safeUrl` |
| `post.ap_id` | `ext.apUrl` | `safeUrl` |
| `post.published` | `content.createdAt` | `toIsoDate` |
| `post.language_id` | `ext.languageId` | `toNumber` |
| `creator.id` | `author.id` | `toString` |
| `creator.name` | `author.username` | - |
| `creator.display_name` | `author.displayName` | - |
| `creator.actor_id` | `author.url` | `safeUrl` |
| `creator.avatar` | `author.avatarUrl` | `safeUrl` |
| `community.name` | `entity.name` | - |
| `community.title` | `ext.title` | - |
| `counts.score` | `engagement.likes` | `toNumber` |
| `counts.comments` | `engagement.comments` | `toNumber` |

## Caching and freshness

- Fresh for about 2 minutes. Repeat calls in that window are served from cache and are free.
- Between 2 minutes and 15 minutes the cached copy is still served instantly and marked `stale: true` while Onekey refreshes it in the background.
- If the source is down when a refresh is needed, the last copy can be served for up to 1 hour more (marked stale).
- A "not found" is remembered for 1 minute and is free.
- The cache is shared across all customers, which is what keeps repeat calls cheap.

## What can go wrong

| Status | Code | What to do |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 401 | `unauthorized` | Check the `x-api-key` header. |
| 402 | `insufficient_credits` | [Add credits](https://onekey.dev/pricing); your balance must cover the price. |
| 404 | `not_found` | Unknown endpoint path. |
| 422 | `invalid_params` | Fix the parameters using the table above. Free. |
| 429 | `rate_limited` | Wait `Retry-After` seconds, then retry. |
| 502 | `upstream_error` | The source failed. Refunded; retry with backoff. |

See [Errors](https://onekey.dev/docs/errors.md) for the full list and retry guidance.

Status: stable (verified against the live source).