roboflow-api-reference

> **For agents — source-of-truth:** This skill is authored in [`roboflow/computer-vision-skills`](https://github.com/roboflow/computer-vision-skills) and shipped with the Roboflow plugin. If your client has loaded the plugin (you'll see `roboflow:<name>` skills in your available skills list), use those local skills — they're read fresh from disk every session. The same content served as MCP resources at `roboflow://skills/<name>/...` is a fallback for clients without the plugin and may lag this repo. **Don't call `ReadMcpResourceTool` for `roboflow://skills/...` URIs when a local `roboflow:<name>` skill is available.** > **Tip:** If you're connected to the [Roboflow MCP server](https://mcp.roboflow.com), prefer its tools (`projects_*`, `versions_*`, `models_*`, `workflows_*`, `images_*`, …) over raw REST calls — they handle auth, pagination, and typed responses for you. The REST patterns below stay relevant if you're not using MCP. # Roboflow API Reference — Overview ## API Hosts | Host | Base URL | Purpose | |------|----------|---------| | Platform API | `https://api.roboflow.com` | CRUD for projects, images, versions, training, upload | | Serverless Inference | `https://serverless.roboflow.com` | Model inference + Workflow execution | | Dedicated Deployment | `https://<name>.roboflow.cloud` | Private GPU inference (same API as serverless) | | Self-hosted Inference | `http://localhost:9001` | Local inference server via `inference` package | Use the `inference-sdk` Python package as the preferred client for all inference hosts. It handles auth, retries, and response parsing. ## Authentication | Method | Where | Format | |--------|-------|--------| | Query parameter | All hosts | `?api_key=YOUR_KEY` | | Request body | Platform API + Workflow inference | `"api_key": "YOUR_KEY"` in JSON body | | Header | MCP server (`mcp.roboflow.com`) | `x-api-key: YOUR_KEY` (handled automatically by MCP) | API keys are workspace-scoped. Get yours from **Workspace Settings > API Keys** in the Roboflow dashboard (`app.roboflow.com/{workspace}/settings/api`). Personal API keys are at `/settings/account` → API Keys tab. ## SDKs | SDK | Install | Primary Use | |-----|---------|-------------| | Python (`inference-sdk`) | `pip install inference-sdk` | Inference via `InferenceHTTPClient` | | Python (`roboflow`) | `pip install roboflow` | Upload, training, project management | | JavaScript (`roboflow.js`) | Browser script tag | Real-time on-device web inference | | iOS (Swift) | CocoaPods/SPM | On-device mobile inference | ### Python inference-sdk Quick Start ```python from inference_sdk import InferenceHTTPClient CLIENT = InferenceHTTPClient( api_url="https://serverless.roboflow.com", # or dedicated URL, or localhost api_key="YOUR_KEY" ) result = CLIENT.infer("image.jpg", model_id="your-project/1") ``` ### Python roboflow SDK Quick Start ```python import roboflow rf = roboflow.Roboflow(api_key="YOUR_KEY") project = rf.workspace("my-workspace").project("my-project") # Upload project.upload(image_path="image.jpg", split="train") # Inference model = project.version(1).model result = model.predict("image.jpg", confidence=40).json() ``` ## Host Selection Guide | Task | Host to Use | |------|-------------| | Run model inference | `serverless.roboflow.com` | | Run Workflows | `serverless.roboflow.com` | | Upload images | `api.roboflow.com` | | Manage projects/versions | `api.roboflow.com` | | Start training | `api.roboflow.com` | | High-throughput / SLA inference | Dedicated deployment URL | | Air-gapped / on-prem inference | Self-hosted `localhost:9001` | | Real-time video / webcam / RTSP | WebRTC via `inference_sdk.webrtc` against serverless or local — see `roboflow://skills/roboflow-inference/workflows` ("Video Stream" section). Not a plain HTTP call. | ## Rate Limits - Serverless API: rate limits vary by plan - File upload max: 20 MB ## Related Pages - `roboflow://skills/roboflow-api-reference/inference` — inference URL patterns, request/response formats - `roboflow://skills/roboflow-api-reference/rest-api` — platform REST API endpoints (CRUD, upload, training) - `roboflow://skills/roboflow-api-reference/api-key-management` — creating and managing API keys via REST, MCP tools, and Python CLI. **When creating a key, scope it to least privilege** if the workspace has Advanced API Keys; if not, tell the user scoped keys are an Enterprise feature.