Biodiversity Heritage Library
API v3 Documentation
Overview
Methods
Data Elements
Release Notes
SubjectSearch
Return a list of subjects that match (fully or partially) the specified search string.
SYNTAX
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/api3?op=SubjectSearch
&subject=<the full or partial subject for which to search>
&format=<"xml" for an XML response or "json" for JSON (OPTIONAL; "xml" is the default)>
&apikey=<API key value>
EXAMPLE REQUEST (XML)
            
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/api3?op=SubjectSearch&subject=diptera&format=xml&apikey=12345678-BBBB-DDDD-FFFF-123456789012
EXAMPLE RESPONSE (XML)
            
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Response
  xmlns:xsd="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema"
  xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance">
  <Status>ok</Status>
  <ErrorMessage />
  <Result>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera Scathophagidae</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera larvae</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera parasitoids</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera, Fossil</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera/ecology</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera/key</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Diptera: Streblidae</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Larvae of Diptera</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>Mansonia (Diptera)</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>endoparasitoid of Diptera</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>larvas de Diptera</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
    <Subject>
      <SubjectText>nematocerous Diptera</SubjectText>
    </Subject>
  </Result>
</Response>
EXAMPLE REQUEST (JSON)
            
https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/api3?op=SubjectSearch&subject=diptera&format=json&apikey=12345678-BBBB-DDDD-FFFF-123456789012
EXAMPLE RESPONSE (JSON)
            
{
  "Status": "ok",
  "ErrorMessage": "",
  "Result": [
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera Scathophagidae"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera larvae"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera parasitoids"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera, Fossil"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera/ecology"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera/key"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Diptera: Streblidae"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Larvae of Diptera"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "Mansonia (Diptera)"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "endoparasitoid of Diptera"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "larvas de Diptera"
    },
    {
      "SubjectText": "nematocerous Diptera"
    }
  ]
}