Quick Start Guide

This guide will help you quickly get started with the CSMarketCap API. We offer three ways to integrate with our services:

1. GraphQL API: Flexible queries and precise data selection (shown in this guide)
2. REST API: Traditional RESTful endpoints for simpler integration
3. Official SDK: Ready-to-use package with built-in authentication (detailed here)

Step 1: Get Your API Key

1. Log in to your account at CSMarketCap
2. Navigate to the "API Keys" section
3. Generate a new API Key if you don't already have one
4. Save your API Key securely - you'll need it for the next step

Step 2: Generate a JWT Token

Use your API Key to generate a JWT token:

const axios = require('axios');

async function generateJWTToken(apiKey) {
  const mutation = `
    mutation {
      createSubscriptionToken(api_key: "${apiKey}")
    }
  `;

  try {
    const response = await axios({
      url: 'https://api.csmarketcap.com/api/v2/graphql',
      method: 'post',
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json'
      },
      data: {
        query: mutation
      }
    });

    const jwtToken = response.data.data.createSubscriptionToken;
    console.log('Your JWT Token:', jwtToken);
    return jwtToken;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error generating JWT token:', error);
  }
}

// Replace with your actual API key
generateJWTToken('your_api_key_here');

Store this token securely. You can regenerate it at any time if needed.

Step 3: Make Your First API Request

Now you can make API requests using your JWT token. Here are examples using both GraphQL and REST:

GraphQL

const axios = require('axios');

async function getPriceRecommendations(gameId = 730, type = 'general') {
  const query = `
    query PriceRecommendations($game_id: Int, $type: RecommendationType) {
      getPriceRecommendations(game_id: $game_id, type: $type) {
        market_hash_name
        suggested_price
        unstable_reasons
        total_sales
        price_difference
        price_change_percentage
      }
    }
  `;

  try {
    const response = await axios({
      url: 'https://api.csmarketcap.com/api/v2/graphql',
      method: 'post',
      headers: {
        'Content-Type': 'application/json',
        'api-token': 'YOUR_JWT_TOKEN_HERE'
      },
      data: {
        query: query,
        variables: {
          game_id: gameId,
          type: type
        }
      }
    });

    console.log('Price recommendations:', response.data.data.getPriceRecommendations);
    return response.data.data.getPriceRecommendations;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching price recommendations:', error);
  }
}

getPriceRecommendations();

REST

const axios = require('axios');

async function getPriceRecommendations(gameId = 730, type = 'general') {
  try {
    const response = await axios({
      url: 'https://api.csmarketcap.com/api/v2/rest/price-recommendations',
      method: 'get',
      headers: {
        'api-token': 'YOUR_JWT_TOKEN_HERE'
      },
      params: {
        game_id: gameId,
        type: type
      }
    });

    console.log('Price recommendations:', response.data);
    return response.data;
  } catch (error) {
    console.error('Error fetching price recommendations:', error);
  }
}

getPriceRecommendations();

Step 4: Explore Other Endpoints

The CSMarketCap API offers several endpoints to meet different needs:

1. Price Recommendations - Get suggested prices for items
2. Market Analytics - View detailed market data for specific marketplaces
3. Steam Analytics - Access Steam-specific market data
4. Min Prices - Compare lowest prices across marketplaces
5. Max Orders - Find highest buy orders across marketplaces

Step 5: Implement Error Handling

Always implement proper error handling in your production code:

try {
  // API request code
} catch (error) {
  if (error.response) {
    // The request was made and the server responded with an error status
    console.error('Server error:', error.response.data);
    console.error('Status code:', error.response.status);
    
    // Handle specific error cases
    if (error.response.status === 401) {
      console.error('Authentication error. JWT token may be expired or invalid.');
      // Logic to refresh the token
    }
  } else if (error.request) {
    // The request was made but no response was received
    console.error('Network error. No response received:', error.request);
  } else {
    // Something happened in setting up the request
    console.error('Request setup error:', error.message);
  }
}

Step 6: Consider Rate Limits

Reference to plan limits: https://csmarketcap.com/pricing

Quick Start with SDK

For the simplest integration, use our official SDK which handles authentication automatically:

# Install the SDK
npm install csmc-sdk

// Initialize and use
import { Csmc } from 'csmc-sdk';

const sdk = new Csmc('YOUR_API_KEY');

async function getRecommendations() {
  // SDK handles authentication automatically
  await sdk.initialize();
  
  const recommendations = await sdk.methods.priceRecommendations({
    game_id: 730,
    markets: ['bitskins'],
  });
  
  console.log(recommendations);
}

getRecommendations();

See the SDK Documentation for more details.

Next Steps

• Read the Introduction for detailed information
• Review the Authentication Guide for more details on token management
• Explore the sample code to understand how to integrate the API into your applications
• Try our Official SDK for the simplest integration experience

For any questions or support, contact our support team via Telegram or join our CSMC Trader group on Telegram.