API reference

Preview a Monitor API

What a subject monitor would do, before it exists: the resolved subject or the senses to choose from, the recommended platforms with reasons, the schedule, the credit estimate from the price list, and a few pieces of no-cost evidence. Runs the free first pass only — no metered platform and no paid fallback is touched.

Read as Markdown Use with an AI agent

Endpoint

GET/v1/monitors/previewlive · provenfree

Try in Playground

Parameters

Query parameters

Useful optional inputs

rules — For metric monitoring, set rules.metric_fields to published numeric JSON pointers before scheduling; missing values are not zero.
Preview the estimate first. Confirmed tests use the existing source price; invalid paths are uncharged.
sources — Restrict a multi-source request to the platforms useful for your task.
Use dry_run to inspect the resulting quote before fetching.
dry_run — Read a free estimate before fetching sources or scheduling paid work.
Zero credits; cache status and availability are snapshots rather than guarantees.

Name	Required	Description	Example
`query`	yes	The name, handle, URL, domain, product or keyword to follow	`Monzo`
`entity`	no	A sense id from an earlier preview, when the name was ambiguous	`bare`
`entity_type`	no	Optional type hint	`brand`
`purpose`	no	Preset id or free text; sets the recommended sources and filters	`complaints`
`sources`	no	Override the recommended platforms	`reddit,x`
`schedule_minutes`	no	Interval used for the monthly estimate	`1440`
`monthly_cap_credits`	no	Legacy field accepted for compatibility but ignored and returned as null. It does not impose a spending cap. Account balance, quoted run cost and existing account safeguards still apply.
`dry_run`	no	Read a zero-credit estimate without fetching sources, running AI, or reserving credits. Cache status is a snapshot, not a guarantee at execution. Accepted values: 1, 0, true, false. Case, spaces, hyphens and underscores are interchangeable.	`1`
`rules`	no	Optional change-monitor rules as a JSON object. Use metric_fields with up to 10 published numeric object JSON pointers (for example /followers or /stats/likes), with result_mode=changes. Unknown/nonnumeric paths are rejected before a source call or charge; missing actual values are not zero and the check is refunded. Numeric selection replaces family rules. Or use watch_fields for generic field comparisons. See /docs/monitors#metric-fields.	`{"metric_fields":["/followers"]}`
`relevance_enabled`	no	Optional on every monitor. Enable or disable relevance filtering. Enabling requires a nonempty relevance_prompt.	`true`
`relevance_prompt`	no	Up to 600 characters describing what should trigger an alert. A nonempty value enables filtering unless explicitly disabled. Empty clears it.	`Only genuine requests for recommendations; exclude promotions.`
`exclusions`	no	Comma-separated phrases skipped before AI; empty clears. Returned by monitor read tools.	`sponsored,job opening`

Examples

Make the request

curl

curl "https://www.monocrawl.com/v1/monitors/preview?query=Monzo" \
  -H "x-api-key: mn_your_key_here"

TypeScript

typescript

const key = process.env.MONOCRAWL_API_KEY;
if (!key) throw new Error('Set MONOCRAWL_API_KEY on your server.');
const res = await fetch(
  "https://www.monocrawl.com/v1/monitors/preview?query=Monzo",
  { headers: { "x-api-key": key } },
);
const body = await res.json();

if (!body.success) {
  // one error shape for every endpoint — see /docs/errors
  throw new Error(`${body.error.type}: ${body.error.message}`);
}

console.log(body.data, "credits left:", body.credits_remaining);

Python

python

import os
import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://www.monocrawl.com/v1/monitors/preview?query=Monzo",
    headers={"x-api-key": os.environ["MONOCRAWL_API_KEY"]},
    timeout=60,
)
body = res.json()

if not body["success"]:
    # one error shape for every endpoint — see /docs/errors
    raise RuntimeError(f"{body['error']['type']}: {body['error']['message']}")

print(body["data"], "credits left:", body["credits_remaining"])

Response

Response fields and example

This example is illustrative, not a captured live response. Variable-cost operations may settle a charge different from the list price below. A successful response puts the platform payload in data and reports the exact credits used, remaining balance, request id and cache status beside it.

200 · application/json

{
  "success": true,
  "platform": "monitors",
  "endpoint": "/v1/monitors/preview",
  "data": {
    "kind": null,
    "purpose": null,
    "preset": null,
    "name": null,
    "note": null,
    "schedule_minutes": 0,
    "monthly_cap_credits": 0,
    "can_activate": false,
    "requires_choice": false,
    "sample": false,
    "subject": {},
    "estimate": {},
    "availability": {},
    "resolution": {},
    "evidence": [],
    "feeds": []
  },
  "credits_used": 0,
  "credits_remaining": 99,
  "request_id": "req_…",
  "cached": false
}

The example is illustrative and shows a documented subset of data. The fields below are optional across supported sources; nullable fields can also be absent. Preserve unknown values and accept additional fields.

Schema basis: reviewed response shaper. See schema coverage and validation limits.

Download the data JSON Schema. Validate response.data, not the whole envelope. A valid shape does not establish that every field or source record was returned.

Field inside data	Type	Meaning
`kind`	`string \| null`	kind
`purpose`	`string \| null`	purpose
`preset`	`string \| null`	preset
`name`	`string \| null`	name
`note`	`string \| null`	note
`schedule_minutes`	`number \| null`	schedule minutes
`monthly_cap_credits`	`number \| null`	monthly cap credits
`can_activate`	`boolean \| null`	can activate
`requires_choice`	`boolean \| null`	requires choice
`sample`	`boolean \| null`	sample
`subject`	`object \| null`	Nested response fields; optional unless explicitly documented.
`estimate`	`object \| null`	Nested response fields; optional unless explicitly documented.
`availability`	`object \| null`	Nested response fields; optional unless explicitly documented.
`resolution`	`object \| null`	Nested response fields; optional unless explicitly documented.
`evidence`	`array \| null`	Nested response fields; optional unless explicitly documented.
`feeds`	`array \| null`	Nested response fields; optional unless explicitly documented.
`feeds[].platform`	`string \| null`	platform
`feeds[].label`	`string \| null`	label
`feeds[].endpoint`	`string \| null`	endpoint

Core response fields reviewed from the public response shaper. Fields vary by requested options; additive fields remain allowed.

Failures use the typed error envelope. A confirmed uncharged or refunded failure reports zero; a pending reconciliation can report an unknown charge. Read credits_used and error.details.billing_status, and keep request_id for recovery. Response contract · Error reference

Preview a Monitor API

Query parameters

Make the request

Response fields and example

Useful next calls

First call in under a minute