BidSlammer Help: Api-documentation

New User Questions

API Documentation

Our API is for developers or computer-savvy customers. You can use it to create applications, or make shortcuts using your own tools and utilities, such as AppleScript.

You can use the API from any program that can fetch URLs. Manage your snipes in a custom way that you create! For questions of usage or terms for high-volume usage, please contact us.

To access the API, you will need an API key. This is located in your Preferences tab, which you can see in the top navigation bar after you log in. Please note: The API requires a Power Pack upgrade.

Here's a working URL: https://api.bidslammer.com/justTesting?key=test-api-key&arg1=Hello&arg2=World!

Note: A paid account is required to use the API.

Available Methods

justTesting
addBid
deleteBid
addSearch
deleteSearch
fetchItem
checkSnipeStatus
getUserItems
getUserSearches
importWatchList
getBidHistoryDataset
getSearchResults
getSuggestedCategories

justTesting

justTesting is for trying out the API.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`arg1`	string	(required) Pass anything in - it will appear in the return data.
`arg2`	string	(optional) Pass anything in - it will appear in the return data.
`arg3`	string	(optional) Pass anything in - it will appear in the return data.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/justTesting?key={API_KEY}&arg1=Hello%2C+World

Returns:

{
    "status": "OK",
    "message": "Well, the API seems to be working.",
    "arg1": "Hello, World",
    "arg2": "",
    "arg3": "",
    "version": "1",
    "timestamp": "2020-03-01 21:41:53"
}

addBid

addBid is for adding a snipe bid.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`item_no`	integer	(required) The item number.
`bid`	float(2)	(optional) The bid amount. Default is zero (0.00).
`newGroupName`	string	(optional) (text) The name of the Bid Group to add the snipe to.
`delay`	integer	(optional) (integer) The number of seconds of lead time before the snipe is placed. Values can be: Integers of value 1 through 15 only.
`enabled`	boolean	(optional) 0 or 1. Turn the snipe on or off.
`force`	boolean	(optional) 0 or 1. Whether or not to force the bid amount even if it is lower than a bid that will win. If set to 1, then the bid will always be overridden, even if that value will lose.

Note: Once a new group is created, always refer to it using its `group_id`. If you specify the same `newGroupName` again, it will use the same group, as long as you have used `addBid` on that group within the last ten (10) days. In other words, each time you call `addBid` with the same `newGroupName`, it resets the group's last-used date, so a new group with the same name but a different `group_id` is not created. This behavior exists for three reasons:

To ensure the UI drop-down only displays recently active groups.
To allow reuse of group names without confusion.
To prevent mistakenly reactivating an old group just because it shares a name.

For example, if you created a group named "Star Wars" last month, and then create another group with the same name today, the system treats them as separate—unless the original `groupName` was recently active.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/addBid?key={API_KEY}&item_no=123456789012&bid=0.01&force=1

Returns:

{
    "bid": "0.01",
    "delay": 7,
    "group_id": 0,
    "groupName": "",
    "item_no": "153847324676",
    "status": "OK",
    "alert": "success",
    "short_message": "Bid added for 0.01.",
    "message": "You successfully added a snipe for 0.01 on eBay item #153847324676.",
    "message_color": "green",
    "new_snipe": true
}

deleteBid

deleteBid will delete a snipe entirely from the system (if you own the snipe).

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`item_no`	integer	(required) The item number.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/deleteBid?key={API_KEY}&item_no=123456789012

addSearch

addSearch adds a search to your "Saved Searches" list.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`query`	string	(required) The query to add. Max 255 characters.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/addSearch?key={API_KEY}&country_code=US&query=Beanie+Babies

deleteSearch

deleteSearch deletes a search from your "Saved Searches" list.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`id`	integer	(required) The id number of the query. (To get the id number, call `getUserSearches`.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/deleteSearch?key={API_KEY}&id=123456

fetchItem

fetchItem will fetch the latest information for an eBay item number that exists in your account. Note: This endpoint is restricted to active snipes only and cannot be used for general item lookups.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`item_no`	integer	(required) The item number.

Note: Sometimes an auction will turn into a Fixed Price auction. In this case, you will fetch the data for that auction, but it returns the old auction data. This is because the seller can cancel the auction and say it's out of stock. Then it is re-listed as a Fixed Price listing with 0 quantity. It is a loophole that sellers use to preserve the listing’s watch count, traffic history, and/or feedback record.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/fetchItem?key={API_KEY}&item_no=123456789012

Returns:

{
    "status": "OK",
    "alert": "success",
    "bids": 0,
    "cost": 9.99,
    "ends": "2020-03-05 09:03:08",
    "eBayItemId": 153847324676,
    "currentPrice": 9.99,
    "currency": "USD",
    "country": "US",
    "sellerPercent": 100,
    "sellerScore": 0,
    "sellerUserId": "chinese*food*is*good",
    "shippingType": "Calculated",
    "startTime": "2020-02-27 09:03:08",
    "timeLeft": "8h 8m",
    "category": "Everything Else:Test Category For Internal Use Only Parent Level 2:General",
    "endTime": "2020-03-05 09:03:08",
    "pictureURL": "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/nicAAOSwi5xeMhKl/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F",
    "title": "Coconut Lime Verbena Pineapple Cilantro Two Wicked 16oz",
    "images": [
        "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/nicAAOSwi5xeMhKl/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F",
        "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/wq0AAOSwUMpeMhK1/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F",
        "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/bBQAAOSwPMpeMhK2/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F",
        "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/XbIAAOSwepleMhK2/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F",
        "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/PjYAAOSwmoheMhK3/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F",
        "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/EgsAAOSwW1NeMhK4/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F",
        "https://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDgwWDY0MA==/z/CLoAAOSw1T1eMhK5/$_12.JPG?set_id=880000500F"
    ],
    "message": ""
}

checkSnipeStatus

checkSnipeStatus will give win/loss status of the item. If a loss, will give the reason. If the snipe has not executed, it will return a status of "Pending."

Note: eBay sometimes requires up to 5 minutes to confirm status on a bid, so always wait at least 5 minutes after the auction closes to make this API call.

parameter	type	description
`item_no`	integer	(required) The item number.

To check for a definite win, check success == 1. This indicates the system successfully queried eBay's API and received confirmation that the auction was won.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/fetchItem?key={API_KEY}&item_no=123456789012

Returns:

{
    "bidResult": {
        "success": -7,
        "status": "Minimum Bid Increment Not Met",
        "message": "You did not meet the minimum bid increment for this item.",
        "shorthand": "bid-incr",
        "color": "red"
    },
    "item_info": {
        [same as fetchItem call]
    }
}

getUserItems

getUserItems returns a list of user snipes with all parameters.

| parameter | type | description | |---------|------|-------------| | key | string | (required) Your API key. | | filter | string | (required) The list of items you want. Values are: watched - for watch list (bid = 0) current - for pending (current) snipes completed - for recently completed snipes archive - for archived snipes (older than 60 days) | | orderby | string | (optional) The field to order by. Values are (ends|bids) | | dir | string | (optional) The order to return the values. Values are (ASC | DESC). | | offset | integer | (optional) The number of records to skip over in the returned list. | | limit | integer | (optional) Number of records to limit to. Max = 20. | | show_won | boolean | (optional) 0 or 1. Whether or not to include "won" items in the returned list. |

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/getUserItems?key={API_KEY}&filter=current

getUserSearches

getUserSearches returns your list of "Saved Searches."

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`filter`	string	(optional) Text string to limit searches to a filter that you specify.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/getUserSearches?key={API_KEY}

importWatchList

importWatchList imports your Watch List from eBay. Note: Can take up to a minute or more!

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.

getBidderDataset

getBidderDataset gives you a dataset for the bidding history of an item that can be fed directly into Chart.js or QuickChart.io. A second dataset is added that is a horizontal line representing your current snipe value.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`item_no`	integer	(required) The item number.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/getBidHistoryDataset?key={API_KEY}

getBidHistoryDataset

getBidderDataset gives you a dataset for the bidding history of an item that can be fed directly into Chart.js version 2 or QuickChart.io using version=2. A second dataset is added that is a horizontal line representing your current snipe value.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`item_no`	integer	(required) The item number.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/getBidHistoryDataset?key=abcd&item_no=1234567890

Returns:

[
{
        "backgroundColor": "#0099c6",
        "borderColor": "#0099c6",
        "borderWidth": 0.25,
        "fill": false,
        "label": "LEGO Star Wars: Ewok Village (10236)",
        "data": [
                {
                        "x": 1714944227000,
                        "y": 600
                },
                {
                        "x": 1715048287000,
                        "y": 600
                },
                {
                        ...
                }
],
"pointRadius": 4,
"pointHoverRadius": 12,
"pointHoverBackgroundColor": "#0099c6",
"showLine": true
},
{
        "borderCapStyle": "round",
        "borderColor": "#0099c6",
        "borderDash": [
                10,
                5
        ],
        "borderWidth": 2,
        "lineTension": 5,
        "data": [
                {
                        "x": 1714653979000,
                        "y": 600
                },
                {
                        "x": 1715084265000,
                        "y": 600
                }
        ],
        "fill": false,
        "label": "Your snipe of 5.00",
        "pointRadius": 1,
        "showLine": true
}
]

getSearchResults

getSearchResults will return search results (up to 100 items) from eBay for a given query.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`country_code`	string	(optional) 2-letter country code. Default is `US`. Examples: US GB AU DE ...
`query`	string	(required) The search query.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/getSearchResults?key={API_KEY}&query=Beanie+Babies

getSuggestedCategories

getSuggestedCategories will return a list of suggested categories for a given search query, and whether or not each category is a leaf category. You can specify the country to get the correct set of categories, since eBay has a different category set for each country.

parameter	type	description
`key`	string	(required) Your API key.
`country`	char(2)	(optional) The country code (AU, US, DE, ES, GB, etc.) to use for which set of category numbers. Default is US.
`maxResults`	integer	(optional) The maximum number of sets of category recomendations to return. Default is 10.
`query`	string	(required) The search query.

Sample Call

https://api.bidslammer.com/getSuggestedCategories?key={API_KEY}&country=US&maxResults=20&query=Beanie+Babies

New User Questions

My Account

Site Operation

Bidding Analytics

Troubleshooting

Quick Links

API Documentation

Available Methods

justTesting

Sample Call

Returns:

addBid

Sample Call

Returns:

deleteBid

Sample Call

addSearch

Sample Call

deleteSearch

Sample Call

fetchItem

Sample Call

Returns:

checkSnipeStatus

Sample Call

Returns:

getUserItems

Sample Call

getUserSearches

Sample Call

importWatchList

getBidderDataset

Sample Call

getBidHistoryDataset

Sample Call

Returns:

getSearchResults

Sample Call

getSuggestedCategories

Sample Call