Accessing AB’s data and alignment functionality via web services API sounds great, but what can my company do with it?

If you have a product such as a web site or application that needs to present standards to your users, your technical team can program your system to call AB for up-to-date standards data. If your product also needs to support user alignments of content to standards, AB can store the asset alignment data for you, which you can leverage for more efficient alignment updates in the future, including to additional states or other authorities. There are many possibilities, and likely some AB has not yet considered. Our API development is client-driven and each client is unique.

I don’t see a description of an API call that supports what I need. Am I out of luck?

You’re not out of luck! AB’s solutions are rarely one-size-fits-all, especially with our young API. Let’s collaborate. AB can develop new calls or improve existing calls to support your needs.

AB API is interesting, but I don’t know if it’s for my company. Can I test it out?

Yes! We invite you to visit AB Labs and fill out the registration form. We look forward to your questions and feedback.

The API information at your web site is helpful, but I do not understand the API characteristics and API methods documentation.

If you are a non-technical person, the basic information here and here as well as the FAQs will be of interest to you. You can save the technical pages for your programmers. If you do not have a technical team, we have other products and services that may suit your needs.

What is an API?

API stands for Application Programming Interface. In simple terms, an API provides a way for one computer or system to communicate and share data with another computer or system. You encounter APIs on the web everyday. Whenever you make a purchase at a retail site with a credit card, that site sends your credit card information to a 3rd party for authorization via API. Whenever you use the ShareThis button in your browser to share a site on Facebook or Twitter, ShareThis uses API to send data to Facebook and Twitter. An AB client may have a website that calls AB API for standards data to support users browsing standards. If you would like a more detailed definition of API, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Application_programming_interface.

What are the benefits in using API vs. downloading files?

Accessing data using AB API ensures you are receiving up-to-date data. For example, if you subscribe to AB’s state standards data to present standards data in your web-based product and if you download files from AB’s FTP site, you have to monitor your AB account for new or changed documents. Using the Browse API Method eliminates the need for monitoring our site, requesting files, waiting 24 hours for file delivery, downloading files, and updating your data. You also do not need to worry about storing data. Of course, different use cases have different requirements, and data storage may sometimes be desired. When working on an API solution with you, we are mindful of your technical needs.

What is caching?

Caching is temporary storage of data.

How do I get an API key?

Visit AB Labs, fill out the registration form, and AB will be in touch.

How can I find my IP address?

Visit What is My IP Address from the computer from which you will access the AB API.

We currently use AB’s alignment tool, AB AlignED, to align our content to standards. Can we do the same using API instead? If so, what is involved in moving from the alignment tool to API?

If you are interested in providing AB’s alignment tool functionality within your own interface, please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to discuss. If you are interested in accessing alignment data via AB API, we are currently working on API methods to support this need. If you have alignment data access needs that you would like AB to have in mind during development, please contact the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

end faq

I’m interested in live calls to browse and search standards, but I’m concerned about AB’s response time. How much time will live calls add to the user experience?

We understand the concern around relying on a 3rd party to provide data for your product. You may prefer to store all standards-related data on your server to reduce the chances that a 3rd party may introduce disruptions. AB has an indexing system that makes searches lightening fast (response times measured in microseconds). We also have a large and highly-redundant internet pipe, so there is 0.001% likelihood of that ever being slow. Feel free to sign up for AB Labs to give it a test run.

I’m interested in aligning my content to standards, but can’t I just do that without sharing asset metadata and alignment choices with AB?

Sure! If you would like to use browse and search calls to identify standards and align content on your servers to standards data, you are welcome to do so without sharing any data with AB. We just recommend that you store the AB GUIDs. Why? As time passes, your needs may change. You may want to take advantage of our suggestion engine to make multiple alignments more efficient or to update your alignments to new documents or new authorities. You may want to participate in the AB Network and form partnerships with other AB clients. All of this is possible with AB GUIDs. Of course, you could save yourself some trouble and just share asset metadata with us now. It’s one less thing to worry about later.

Can you provide responses in JSON format?

Yes, we can provide XML or JSON.

Is the AB API compliant with RFC 2616, HTTP headers version 1.1?

Yes.

When is AB’s API downtime for tasks such as regular maintenance?

The AB API is available 24/7. Disruptions related to internet service are possible, as with any internet-related service.

end faq

How can I see the documents on my license?

URL: http://api.statestandards.com/services/rest/browse?api_key=[insert-key]&levels=2 will show the countries and authorities on your license.

How do I execute a keyword search?

URL: http://api.statestandards.com/services/rest/search?api_key=[insert-key]&keyword=addition will respond with standards on your license that include the keyword “addition.” Replace addition with other keywords.

When I search a keyword, I am receiving responses for only some states on my license. I know other states contain this keyword. Where are the other states?

When using the search call, the response default is 10 results. To change the number of results, use the request parameter num=. The maximum allowed is 50.
URL: http://api.statestandards.com/services/rest/search?api_key=[insert-key]&keyword=addition&num=30

What is the "domain" parameter?

The domain parameter is the same as subject.

What are the country and authority codes?

Country codes indicate the country under which a standards document resides.  Examples include:
United States = US (used for state standards within the United States)
Canada = CA
United Kingdom = UK

Authority codes indicate the organization issuing the standards, such as a state.
Use US postal service abbreviations for states (e.g. Virginia = VA)
Common Core State Standards = CC
British Columbia = BC

This information can also be compiled using the Browse Method via API.

I’m interested in seeing the Common Terms Catalog (AB CTC) metadata associated with standards. Is there an AB API method for that?

At this time, there is no AB API method to browse the AB CTC, search for standards by AB CTCs tagged to standards, or to view AB CTCs tagged to standards. We will consider developing methods based on stated use cases. (If the AB Topic Taxonomy (ABTT) is on your data license or is part of your AB Labs data subset, you can browse the ABTT, connect ABTT nodes to content, and use the suggestStandards AB API method to see standards connected to the selected ABTT node.)

end faq

If I call the maintainAsset method and include the _op parameter with a value of “delete”, are standards alignments deleted as well?

Yes. If you delete an asset, all alignments for that asset are deleted as well. Depending on your use case, you could consider using including a “status” property to indicate if an asset is no longer active. This would allow you to save data for future use.

end faq

I want to replace all alignments for an asset. To remove existing alignments, do I have to submit one handpickAlignment call for every previously handpicked AB GUID with {guid}=no or is there a way to delete all alignments and start over?

Specifying parameter {guid}=yes will add an AB GUID as an alignment. Specifying parameter {guid}=no will delete an AB GUID as an alignment. At this time, you must submit {guid}=no for each AB GUID for deletion. The handpickAlignment method will accept multiple AB GUIDs in one call. For example, the following call is accepted: http://api.statestandards.com/services/rest/handpickAlignment?api_key=[enter-key]&asset=[enter-asset-guid]&[guid]=yes&[guid]=yes&[guid]= yes&[guid]=no AB is currently considering a parameter to remove alignments in bulk for an asset.

end faq

I want to find standards relevant to my content, but I don’t know where to start. What do I need to do?

Depending on what you are trying to accomplish, there are a few ways to find relevant standards for your content. One example is by connecting an asset (the most granular piece of content you are trying to connect to standards, such as an objective statement) to a node within the AB Topic Taxonomy (ABTT).

1. First, you need to create your asset using the maintainAsset method.
2. Then, you connect it to an ABTT node. You can find a suitable node (such as “Fractions - Read, Write, Model”) using the Browse or Search methods.
3. Using handpickAlignment, you connect your asset to the ABTT node.
4. Then, using suggestStandards, you can find relevant standards in the authority of interest (such as Common Core State Standards).

end faq