The Consensus API lets you integrate Consensus search directly into your own applications, tools, and workflows. Use it to programmatically search academic research and retrieve relevant papers without needing to run each search manually in Consensus.

API access is available directly from your Consensus account. Your API usage and Consensus MCP usage share the same monthly pool of calls. The number of calls included each month depends on your subscription tier.

For full technical documentation, endpoints, parameters, and response details, read our API docs here.

You can create and manage API keys from the API & MCP Dashboard.

Your full API key is only shown once. Make sure you copy it when you create it.

If you lose an API key, you won't be able to view it again. Instead, revoke the existing key and create a new one.

Once you've created an API key, you can use it to authenticate requests to the Consensus API.

To make a search request, you'll need three things:

For example, if you want to search for research on whether creatine improves muscle strength, your request would send that question as the query to the Consensus search endpoint.

If you're using a tool such as Postman, a programming language, or another application to make the request, add your Consensus API key as an x-api-key header.

The API also supports filters that can help narrow your research, including publication date, study type, sample size, citation count, journal, academic field, country, open-access status, and more.

For request examples and a full list of available parameters and responses, see the Consensus API Reference.

API and MCP usage share one monthly pool of calls.

For example, if your plan includes 250 calls and you use 100 calls through the API, you have 150 included calls remaining for use across both the API and MCP.

Additional usage costs $0.10 per call after you've used the calls included in your plan.

Your usage resets on the 1st of each month.

To see your current usage:

At the top of the dashboard, you'll see:

The usage bar shows both the number of calls included in your plan and your total monthly call limit.

The usage graph shows how your calls are split between API and MCP. You can view your usage for the last 7 days, last 30 days, or your current billing period.

The Keys and Clients tab is where you manage both your API keys and MCP connections.

Additional usage lets paid users continue making API and MCP calls after using all of the calls included in their plan.

Additional usage is turned off by default.

To enable it:

Once enabled, calls beyond your plan's included amount are billed at $0.10 per call, up to your plan's maximum monthly call limit.

You can turn additional usage off at any time. If you turn it off after you've already exceeded your included calls, you won't be able to make any more API or MCP calls until your usage resets. You'll still be billed for any additional calls made before you turned additional usage off.

Free users cannot enable additional usage. To access additional usage, upgrade to a paid plan.

Treat your API key like a password.

Don't share it publicly or include it in publicly accessible client-side code, public repositories, screenshots, or other places where someone else could access it.

If you believe a key has been exposed, revoke it from the API & MCP Dashboard and create a new one.

You can manage your API keys, monitor API and MCP usage, review billing, and change your additional usage settings at any time from the API & MCP Dashboard.

Where can I see my API/MCP billing history?

Do API and MCP have separate usage limits?

What happens if I lose my API key?