Start a Content product
A live API that sells what you publish: free to list, paid by the read, or open whole to members by the month.
View as Markdown
Open in
You need Node 20 and a GitHub account. The examples use briefs.apis.dev, which stands for your domain; your first deploy answers at once on a free Host, and your own domain is one line.
Start the folder
Terminal $ npx apis.dev init content ✓ wrote definition.ts:a Content product next: npx apis.dev dev initwrites a Content product with one kind of item, its review and its prices.Write the file
definition.ts import { define } from 'apis.dev' /** A weekly brief on the software companies that changed headcount,for members and their agents. */ export default define({ name: 'briefs', domain: 'briefs.apis.dev', Issue: { // Noun: an edition your editors write week: 'string!#', title: 'string', body: 'markdown', status: { // Verbs: drafted, then published draft: [], publish: { in: 'drafted', role: 'editor' }, }, }, offer: { // Offer: free to list, paid by the read 'Issue.list': 0, 'Issue.read': 0.25, Member: { month: 8, includes: { 'Issue.read': 'all' } }, }, }) An Issue is drafted, then published by an editor. Anyone lists Issues for free, a read of one is priced, and a Member's plan opens every read.
Try it locally
Terminal $ npx apis.dev dev ✓ every Interface on http://localhost: 8787, against your Test twin reloads on every save Draft, publish and read an Issue on localhost. Your Test twin keeps its own Issues, and its books never post.
Publish it
Terminal $ npx apis.dev deploy ✓ signed in with GitHub ✓ definition.ts:briefs on briefs.apis.dev ✓ Stripe connected: each Customer pays into your own account ✓ 1 Noun, 8 Verbs, 1 plan, 2 prices Issue draft, get, list, update, delete, restore, read, publish Member 8 a month, every Issue.read included Issue.list 0 a call Issue.read 0.25 a read ✓ published v1 to https: //briefs.apis.dev: 11 Interfaces REST /issues CLI npx briefs MCP /mcp SDK npm i briefs, pip install briefs Docs /docs OpenAPI /openapi.json llms.txt /llms.txt agents.json /.well-known/ agents.json Pricing /pricing Landing site / Developer portal /dashboard ✓ Test key: briefs_test_ZL8WX5MtmpaL96W5LKkpbLBBV5JEjpb6ed40 Deploy prints
readbeside the moves: one whole Issue, sold by access. Anyone can list the Issues on your site and through the API, at no charge.Read the price list
/pricing { "currency": "USD", "rates": [ { "name": "Member", "price": 8, "unit": "month", "includes": { "Issue.read": "all" } }, { "name": "Issue.list", "price": 0, "unit": "call" }, { "name": "Issue.read", "price": 0.25, "unit": "call" } ] }Your readers and their agents see both ways to pay before they read: a price a read, or a plan a month.
Publish an Issue
Request curl https://briefs.apis.dev/ issues \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $BRIEFS_KEY" \ --json '{ "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30." }' Response HTTP/1.1 201 Created Location:/issues/ 2026-W44 X-Action-Id: act_1 X-Cost: price= 0, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_61936998da1fa61dab74 { "id": "issue_44", "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "drafted", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z" } Request curl -X POST https://briefs.apis.dev/ issues/ 2026-W44/ publish \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $BRIEFS_KEY" Response HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Action-Id:act_2 X-Cost: price= 0, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_73ca46e71f66378cb0fd { "id": "issue_44", "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "published", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" } An editor drafts the week's Issue and publishes it with their own Key. Only a member who holds the
editorRole can publish.Read it with no credits
GET briefs.apis.dev/issues/2026-W44Request curl https://briefs.apis.dev/ issues/ 2026-W44 \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $BRIEFS_KEY" \ -H "Prefer: code= 402" Response HTTP/1.1 402 Payment Required Content-Type:application/ problem+json X-Cost: price= 0, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81 { "type": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ docs/ errors#payment_required", "title": "Payment Required", "status": 402, "detail": "The credit balance is 0; Issue.read draws 0.25 from it.", "code": "payment_required", "instance": "req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81", "offers": [ { "kind": "credits", "price": 10, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ credits-10" }, { "kind": "plan", "name": "Member", "price": 8, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ member" } ] } TypeScript import { Briefs } from 'briefs' const api = new Briefs({ key: process.env.BRIEFS_KEY }) const { error, meta } = await api.readIssue('2026-W44') // error:{ status: 402, code: 'payment_required' } // meta.cost: { price: 0, currency: 'USD' } Response HTTP/1.1 402 Payment Required Content-Type:application/ problem+json X-Cost: price= 0, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81 { "type": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ docs/ errors#payment_required", "title": "Payment Required", "status": 402, "detail": "The credit balance is 0; Issue.read draws 0.25 from it.", "code": "payment_required", "instance": "req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81", "offers": [ { "kind": "credits", "price": 10, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ credits-10" }, { "kind": "plan", "name": "Member", "price": 8, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ member" } ] } Python import os from briefs import Briefs api = Briefs(key=os.environ["BRIEFS_KEY"]) error, meta = api.read_issue("2026-W44") # error:{ "status": 402, "code": "payment_required" } # meta.cost: { "price": 0, "currency": "USD" } Response HTTP/1.1 402 Payment Required Content-Type:application/ problem+json X-Cost: price= 0, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81 { "type": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ docs/ errors#payment_required", "title": "Payment Required", "status": 402, "detail": "The credit balance is 0; Issue.read draws 0.25 from it.", "code": "payment_required", "instance": "req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81", "offers": [ { "kind": "credits", "price": 10, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ credits-10" }, { "kind": "plan", "name": "Member", "price": 8, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ member" } ] } Terminal $ npx briefs login --key $BRIEFS_KEY $ npx briefs issues read 2026-W44 error 402 payment_required price 0 USD · req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81Response HTTP/1.1 402 Payment Required Content-Type:application/ problem+json X-Cost: price= 0, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81 { "type": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ docs/ errors#payment_required", "title": "Payment Required", "status": 402, "detail": "The credit balance is 0; Issue.read draws 0.25 from it.", "code": "payment_required", "instance": "req_ed7c2b0dac55cde2bd81", "offers": [ { "kind": "credits", "price": 10, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ credits-10" }, { "kind": "plan", "name": "Member", "price": 8, "checkout": "https: //briefs.apis.dev/ checkout/ member" } ] } Request curl https://briefs.apis.dev/ mcp \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $BRIEFS_KEY" \ -H "Prefer: code= 402" \ --json '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "tools/ call", "params": { "name": "readIssue", "arguments": { "id": "2026-W44" } } }' Response HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Cost:price= 0, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_490740fc55115341f8ba { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "result": { "isError": true, "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "{\"status\":402, \"code\":\"payment_required\"}" } ], "structuredContent": { "status": 402, "code": "payment_required" }, "_meta": { "cost": { "price": 0, "currency": "USD" }, "requestId": "req_490740fc55115341f8ba" } } } A reader with no credits meets 402 at price 0, with two offers: a credit pack, or Member at $8 a month. Each opens Stripe Checkout.
Buy credits and read it
GET briefs.apis.dev/issues/2026-W44Request curl https://briefs.apis.dev/ issues/ 2026-W44 \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $BRIEFS_KEY" Response HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Cost:price= 0.25, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_83c741a2f5aedafa4b1f { "id": "issue_44", "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "published", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" } TypeScript import { Briefs } from 'briefs' const api = new Briefs({ key: process.env.BRIEFS_KEY }) const { data, meta } = await api.readIssue('2026-W44') // data:{ // 'id': 'issue_44', // 'week': '2026-W44', // 'title': 'Who hired this week', // 'body': 'Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.', // 'status': 'published', // 'createdAt': '2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z', // 'updatedAt': '2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z' // } // meta.cost: { price: 0.25, currency: 'USD' } Response HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Cost:price= 0.25, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_83c741a2f5aedafa4b1f { "id": "issue_44", "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "published", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" } Python import os from briefs import Briefs api = Briefs(key=os.environ["BRIEFS_KEY"]) data, meta = api.read_issue("2026-W44") # data:{ # "id": "issue_44", # "week": "2026-W44", # "title": "Who hired this week", # "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", # "status": "published", # "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", # "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" # } # meta.cost: { "price": 0.25, "currency": "USD" } Response HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Cost:price= 0.25, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_83c741a2f5aedafa4b1f { "id": "issue_44", "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "published", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" } Terminal $ npx briefs login --key $BRIEFS_KEY $ npx briefs issues read 2026-W44 { "id": "issue_44","week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "published", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" } price 0.25 USD · req_83c741a2f5aedafa4b1f Response HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Cost:price= 0.25, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_83c741a2f5aedafa4b1f { "id": "issue_44", "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "published", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" } Request curl https://briefs.apis.dev/ mcp \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $BRIEFS_KEY" \ --json '{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "method": "tools/ call", "params": { "name": "readIssue", "arguments": { "id": "2026-W44" } } }' Response HTTP/1.1 200 OK X-Cost:price= 0.25, currency= "USD" X-Request-Id: req_ce861093369d9ba88d97 { "jsonrpc": "2.0", "id": 1, "result": { "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "{\"id\":\"issue_44\",\"week\":\"2026-W44\",\"title\":\"Who hired this week\",\"body\":\"Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.\",\"status\":\"published\",\"createdAt\":\"2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z\",\"updatedAt\":\"2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z\"}" } ], "structuredContent": { "id": "issue_44", "week": "2026-W44", "title": "Who hired this week", "body": "Acme grew from 180 to 240 people; Globex cut 30.", "status": "published", "createdAt": "2026-10-26T06: 00: 00Z", "updatedAt": "2026-10-26T08: 30: 00Z" }, "_meta": { "cost": { "price": 0.25, "currency": "USD" }, "requestId": "req_ce861093369d9ba88d97" } } } The same read answers the whole Issue and draws $0.25. A Member reads it, and every other Issue, at 0.
Get paid
Stripe receipt · October 2026 · USD Issue.read 14 × 0.25 3.50 ─────────────────────────────────── Total 3.50 Paid from 10.00 of credits 3.50 Balance 6.50This is one reader's month, paid from a pack of credits. A Member's receipt is one line a month, and each lands in your own Stripe account.
Result
Your API answers on https://briefs.apis.dev: Issues your editors draft and publish, at $0.25 a read for a person or an agent.
The list of Issues is free, and a Member opens every Issue whole at $8 a month. You wrote no paywall, no subscription code and no metering.
Next steps
- Start a Marketplace → sell what many suppliers do, under your brand, and keep a share of each sale.
- Content: editions, access tiers, one-off products, communities and licence terms.
- Commerce: subscriptions, per-read prices, credits and refunds on Stripe.