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