We want to help you build great apps by providing efficient access to and use of WordPress.com data through our APIs. We also want to ensure that everyone in our developer community honors the high standards of integrity, performance, and privacy that our users expect from Automattic.
When using our APIs, please keep the following guidelines in mind:
We value user privacy, and so should you. Your app should include a privacy policy that discloses, in clear terms, the information you collect from users, and how you use and store that data.
Refresh user data frequently. Your app may cache or store WordPress.com content or data — but please refresh any data that you store at reasonable intervals.
Please don’t abuse the API. Use of our API is free. We only ask that you not abuse it by making excessive calls through your apps. It goes without saying that we also don’t permit using our APIs to enable spam, phishing, or other types of fraud or malware.
You also agree to abide by the API Terms of Use below. Thanks!
One more thing — APIs like ours enable the kind of collaboration that makes the web great. We don’t think APIs are copyrightable subject matter, and have updated our terms to clarify that we don’t claim copyright in our APIs.
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Automattic’s API Terms of Use
Automattic’s application programming interfaces (the “Automattic APIs”) allow you to connect to Automattic systems and to create, retrieve and use content generated by Automattic users (“Content”) from within your application and/or website (“App”). Your use of the Automattic APIs to access Automattic’s systems, including but not limited to the WordPress.com REST API, the Akismet API, the WPScan API, and the Gravatar API, is subject to these Terms of Use.
1. CC0.
To the extent possible under law, Automattic, Inc. has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to the declarative code that is necessary for function calls to the Automattic APIs as well as the structure, sequence and organization of the Automattic APIs. For clarity, this CC0 disclaimer does not apply to any software or code that has not been released or made public in source code form by Automattic via the API docs. For more specific information, please see https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/.
2. Restrictions and Requirements.
By using the Automattic APIs to interact with the Automattic systems, you agree to:
- provide true and accurate information about yourself and your App when requested by Automattic.
- inform users about how your App copies, caches, stores or retains any Content or data, and refresh any stored or cached Content or data at a reasonable interval.
- publish content to WordPress.com using the Automattic APIs only in accordance with the WordPress.com Terms of Service.
- include a privacy policy which is readily accessible from all pages of your App and which complies with all applicable laws, including but not limited to the California Online Privacy Protection Act of 2003.
And agree not to:
- place excessive API calls to Automattic’s systems or otherwise overburden Automattic systems, as determined by Automattic in its sole discretion.
- share or misuse your API token.
- use any information provided by Automattic users (including Content) to market any products or services that are competitive with Automattic, or allow third parties to do so. This obligation survives any expiration or termination of these terms of use.
- use or allow the use of Automattic APIs or any App to send or facilitate the sending of unsolicited communications or for any fraudulent purpose, including phishing.
- modify, decompile, reverse engineer or otherwise alter or seek to derive the trade secrets and other inherent intellectual property of the Automattic APIs.
- use the Automattic APIs (i) to create or enable any App, website, tool, or other mechanism that is, or enables, or operates in conjunction with, any malware, spyware, adware, other malicious programs or code, or (ii) in any manner that would violate any applicable law or governmental regulation.
- display, cache or store user passwords.
- display, distribute, or otherwise make available content or data to governmental entities for intelligence gathering or surveillance purposes.
3. Publicity. You may publicize that your application uses Automattic APIs, but you may not (i) issue any press release, or (ii) otherwise use the “Automattic” or “WordPress” name, any of the Automattic or WordPress logos, or any trademark, service mark, trade name, or trade dress of Automattic or any of its brands in any manner related to your use of Automattic APIs without the express written consent and approval of Automattic.
4. Termination, Suspension, and Modification. As a condition to the access to Automattic’s systems that are granted to you, you acknowledge and agree that Automattic reserves the right to change all or any part of these Terms of Use, to suspend, limit or disable access to Automattic systems, data or content accessible through Automattic APIs, and/or to terminate these Terms of Use, in each case at any time with or without cause and without liability to you.
Your rights to use Automattic APIs to access the Automattic systems will automatically terminate upon (i) your violation of any provision of these Terms of Use; (ii) Automattic’s notice of termination; or (iii) Automattic’s election to disable your use of Automattic APIs via the Automattic systemse. Automattic may modify these terms at its discretion. Any notice of changed terms or of termination will be provided by any means including, without limitation, posting on WordPress.com, or other Automattic service, by electronic mail, or by any other communication. If you disagree with any modifications to these Terms and Conditions, your sole recourse is to stop using Automattic APIs to access the Automattic systems and your continued use of Automattic APIs to access the Automattic systems following notice of such modifications constitutes your agreement to such modifications. The provisions of Sections 3 through 8 will survive expiration or termination of these Terms of Use along with terms which, by their nature, are to survive expiration or termination of this Agreement.
5. Disclaimer of Warranties. Automattic makes no warranties of any kind with respect to the Automattic APIs.
6. Limitation of Liability. Automattic will not have any liability to you arising out of these Terms and Conditions or the Automattic APIs for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages under any theory of liability arising out of or relating in any way to Automattic APIs. As a condition to receiving free access to the Automattic APIs to access the Automattic systems, you expressly agree and understand that Automattic’s aggregate liability under this agreement is limited to $5.00.
7. Indemnification. You will indemnify, defend, and hold Automattic, its subsidiaries, affiliates, officers, and employees, harmless from any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, actions, judgments, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) brought by a third party arising out of or in connection with: (i) any act or omission by you, in connection with your use of the Automattic APIs, (ii) your breach or alleged breach of any of these terms; or (iii) your App(s). Automattic may, at its option, elect to take over control of the defense and settlement of a claim subject to indemnification. You agree not to settle any such claim without the prior written consent of Automattic.
8. Miscellaneous. These Terms of Use are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California, United States of America, without regards to its principles of conflicts of law. These Terms of Use are not assignable, transferable or sublicenseable by you (even by operation of law) except with the prior written consent of Automattic.
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