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Thingiverse API FAQ

What is the Thingiverse API?

The Thingiverse API allows software developers to create applications that interact with Thingiverse. When you authorize an app on your Thingiverse account you're allowing it to perform actions on your behalf including creating new things, copies and collections.

What can I do with the Thingiverse API?

This question is difficult to answer. While the possibilities are limitless, the intention is to create tools to make Thingiverse more accessable to makers. While we were building the API we thought of many ideas for apps that would be great to have. Here are some examples:

  • A mobile app to make it easy to take photos and upload them as a Make.
  • A web app to make it easy to design and customize very particular things like vases or tea sets.
  • Visualizations of Thingiverse data in new and interesting ways.
  • Apps to make mashing up, remixing and reposting Things easy.

What can't I do with the Thingiverse API?

There are a few things that your app should not do. Please read our API Terms of Service carefully before beginning to work on your app. A few things that are strictly forbidden:

  • Do not sell or otherwise commericalize Thingiverse users' content without permission from both parties.
  • Do not redistribute Thingiverse content on other sites or platforms.
  • Do not perform actions that are not initiated by the user or that would suprise or confuse the user.
  • Do not create spam or other advertising material using the API.

Why do I need to get my app approved before people can start using it?

We want to make sure Thingiverse Apps meet with our quality standards, don't violate our ToS, and aren't doing anything particularly weird. We're confident that our app approval process will be quick and relatively painless. You can expect us to get back to you in 1-3 business days. Meanwhile you can allow up to 10 people to start using your app right away using the direct link to the app.

Will I need to get my app re-approved when I make an update?

No. Once your app is approved you can go ahead and make updates to it. We reserve the right to revoke our approval if new features or functionality bring your app into violation of our terms.

Why do I need to get user approval for apps that are read-only?

The Thingiverse API does not have any concept of scopes or detailed permissions yet, so access is all-or-nothing for now. We may allow unauthenticated read-only access at some point, but we don't have an ETA at this time.

I have an app idea that the current API won't support.

If we get enough interest from developers (like you!) we will continue to build out our API. Please let us know if you have a problem, feature suggestion, or other API-related request, by opening a case.

Why won't sessions work in Safari when I use my app in an iframe?

Safari no longer accepts cookies from iframes on pages you haven't visited. There is a discussion about the Safari iframe cookie issue on Apple's Support Communities. One common workaround is to prompt the user to click a link which opens your site in a new window and then closes it. We're working on a redirect-back solution and should have details soon.