# 2703 01 Overview A5c03ca3

> API Overview

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- Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex
- Category: Integrations & APIs
- Author: tools-only (https://skillmd.com/u/tools-only)
- Updated: 2026-09-22
- Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/tools-only/2703-01-overview-a5c03ca3

---

# API Overview

This page covers how to connect to OpenViking and the conventions shared across all API endpoints.

## Connecting to OpenViking

OpenViking supports three connection modes:

| Mode | Use Case | Description |
|------|----------|-------------|
| **Embedded** | Local development, single process | Runs locally with local data storage |
| **HTTP** | Connect to OpenViking Server | Connects to a remote server via HTTP API |
| **CLI** | Shell scripting, agent tool-use | Connects to server via CLI commands |

### Embedded Mode

```python
import openviking as ov

client = ov.OpenViking(path="./data")
client.initialize()
```

Embedded mode uses `ov.conf` to configure embedding, vlm, storage, and other modules. Default path: `~/.openviking/ov.conf`. You can also specify the path via environment variable:

```bash
export OPENVIKING_CONFIG_FILE=/path/to/ov.conf
```

Minimal configuration example:

```json
{
  "embedding": {
    "dense": {
      "api_base": "<api-endpoint>",
      "api_key": "<your-api-key>",
      "provider": "<volcengine|openai|jina>",
      "dimension": 1024,
      "model": "<model-name>"
    }
  },
  "vlm": {
    "api_base": "<api-endpoint>",
    "api_key": "<your-api-key>",
    "provider": "<volcengine|openai|jina>",
    "model": "<model-name>"
  }
}
```

For full configuration options and provider-specific examples, see the [Configuration Guide](../guides/01-configuration.md).

### HTTP Mode

```python
client = ov.SyncHTTPClient(
    url="http://localhost:1933",
    api_key="your-key",
    agent_id="my-agent",
)
client.initialize()
```

When `url` is not explicitly provided, the HTTP client automatically loads connection info from `ovcli.conf`. This config file is shared between the HTTP client and CLI. Default path: `~/.openviking/ovcli.conf`. You can also specify the path via environment variable:

```bash
export OPENVIKING_CLI_CONFIG_FILE=/path/to/ovcli.conf
```

```json
{
  "url": "http://localhost:1933",
  "api_key": "your-key",
  "agent_id": "my-agent"
}
```

| Field | Description | Default |
|-------|-------------|---------|
| `url` | Server address | (required) |
| `api_key` | API key | `null` (no auth) |
| `output` | Default output format: `"table"` or `"json"` | `"table"` |

See the [Configuration Guide](../guides/01-configuration.md#ovcliconf) for details.

### Direct HTTP (curl)

```bash
curl http://localhost:1933/api/v1/fs/ls?uri=viking:// \
  -H "X-API-Key: your-key"
```

### CLI Mode

The CLI connects to an OpenViking server and exposes all operations as shell commands. The CLI also loads connection info from `ovcli.conf` (shared with the HTTP client).

**Basic Usage**

```bash
openviking [global options] <command> [arguments] [command options]
```

**Global Options** (must be placed before the command name)

| Option | Description |
|--------|-------------|
| `--output`, `-o` | Output format: `table` (default), `json` |
| `--version` | Show CLI version |

Example:

```bash
openviking -o json ls viking://resources/
```

## Lifecycle

**Embedded Mode**

```python
import openviking as ov

client = ov.OpenViking(path="./data")
client.initialize()

# ... use client ...

client.close()
```

**HTTP Mode**

```python
import openviking as ov

client = ov.SyncHTTPClient(url="http://localhost:1933")
client.initialize()

# ... use client ...

client.close()
```

## Authentication

See [Authentication Guide](../guides/04-authentication.md) for full details.

- **X-API-Key** header: `X-API-Key: your-key`
- **Bearer** header: `Authorization: Bearer your-key`
- If no API key is configured on the server, authentication is skipped.
- The `/health` endpoint never requires authentication.

## Response Format

All HTTP API responses follow a unified format:

**Success**

```json
{
  "status": "ok",
  "result": { ... },
  "time": 0.123
}
```

**Error**

```json
{
  "status": "error",
  "error": {
    "code": "NOT_FOUND",
    "message": "Resource not found: viking://resources/nonexistent/"
  },
  "time": 0.01
}
```

## CLI Output Format

### Table Mode (default)

List data is rendered as tables; non-list data falls back to formatted JSON:

```bash
openviking ls viking://resources/
# name          size  mode  isDir  uri
# .abstract.md  100   420   False  viking://resources/.abstract.md
```

### JSON Mode (`--output json`)

All commands output formatted JSON matching the API response `result` structure:

```bash
openviking -o json ls viking://resources/
# [{ "name": "...", "size": 100, ... }, ...]
```

The default output format can be set in `ovcli.conf`:

```json
{
  "url": "http://localhost:1933",
  "output": "json"
}
```

### Script Mode (`-o json`)

Compact JSON with status wrapper (when `--compact` is true, which is the default), suitable for scripting:

**Success**

```json
{"ok": true, "result": ...}
```

**Error**

```json
{"ok": false, "error": {"code": "NOT_FOUND", "message": "Resource not found", "details": {}}}
```

### Special Cases

- **String results** (`read`, `abstract`, `overview`): printed directly as plain text
- **None results** (`mkdir`, `rm`, `mv`): no output

### Exit Codes

| Code | Meaning |
|------|---------|
| 0 | Success |
| 1 | General error |
| 2 | Configuration error |
| 3 | Connection error |

## Error Codes

| Code | HTTP Status | Description |
|------|-------------|-------------|
| `OK` | 200 | Success |
| `INVALID_ARGUMENT` | 400 | Invalid parameter |
| `INVALID_URI` | 400 | Invalid Viking URI format |
| `NOT_FOUND` | 404 | Resource not found |
| `ALREADY_EXISTS` | 409 | Resource already exists |
| `UNAUTHENTICATED` | 401 | Missing or invalid API key |
| `PERMISSION_DENIED` | 403 | Insufficient permissions |
| `RESOURCE_EXHAUSTED` | 429 | Rate limit exceeded |
| `FAILED_PRECONDITION` | 412 | Precondition failed |
| `DEADLINE_EXCEEDED` | 504 | Operation timed out |
| `UNAVAILABLE` | 503 | Service unavailable |
| `INTERNAL` | 500 | Internal server error |
| `UNIMPLEMENTED` | 501 | Feature not implemented |
| `EMBEDDING_FAILED` | 500 | Embedding generation failed |
| `VLM_FAILED` | 500 | VLM call failed |
| `SESSION_EXPIRED` | 410 | Session no longer exists |

## API Endpoints

### System

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| GET | `/health` | Health check (no auth) |
| GET | `/api/v1/system/status` | System status |
| POST | `/api/v1/system/wait` | Wait for processing |

### Resources

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| POST | `/api/v1/resources` | Add resource |
| POST | `/api/v1/skills` | Add skill |
| POST | `/api/v1/pack/export` | Export .ovpack |
| POST | `/api/v1/pack/import` | Import .ovpack |

### File System

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| GET | `/api/v1/fs/ls` | List directory |
| GET | `/api/v1/fs/tree` | Directory tree |
| GET | `/api/v1/fs/stat` | Resource status |
| POST | `/api/v1/fs/mkdir` | Create directory |
| DELETE | `/api/v1/fs` | Delete resource |
| POST | `/api/v1/fs/mv` | Move resource |

### Content

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| GET | `/api/v1/content/read` | Read full content (L2) |
| GET | `/api/v1/content/abstract` | Read abstract (L0) |
| GET | `/api/v1/content/overview` | Read overview (L1) |

### Search

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| POST | `/api/v1/search/find` | Semantic search |
| POST | `/api/v1/search/search` | Context-aware search |
| POST | `/api/v1/search/grep` | Pattern search |
| POST | `/api/v1/search/glob` | File pattern matching |

### Relations

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| GET | `/api/v1/relations` | Get relations |
| POST | `/api/v1/relations/link` | Create link |
| DELETE | `/api/v1/relations/link` | Remove link |

### Sessions

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| POST | `/api/v1/sessions` | Create session |
| GET | `/api/v1/sessions` | List sessions |
| GET | `/api/v1/sessions/{id}` | Get session |
| DELETE | `/api/v1/sessions/{id}` | Delete session |
| POST | `/api/v1/sessions/{id}/commit` | Commit session |
| POST | `/api/v1/sessions/{id}/messages` | Add message |

### Observer

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| GET | `/api/v1/observer/queue` | Queue status |
| GET | `/api/v1/observer/vikingdb` | VikingDB status |
| GET | `/api/v1/observer/vlm` | VLM status |
| GET | `/api/v1/observer/system` | System status |
| GET | `/api/v1/debug/health` | Quick health check |

### Admin (Multi-tenant)

| Method | Path | Description |
|--------|------|-------------|
| POST | `/api/v1/admin/accounts` | Create workspace + first admin (ROOT) |
| GET | `/api/v1/admin/accounts` | List workspaces (ROOT) |
| DELETE | `/api/v1/admin/accounts/{account_id}` | Delete workspace (ROOT) |
| POST | `/api/v1/admin/accounts/{account_id}/users` | Register user (ROOT, ADMIN) |
| GET | `/api/v1/admin/accounts/{account_id}/users` | List users (ROOT, ADMIN) |
| DELETE | `/api/v1/admin/accounts/{account_id}/users/{user_id}` | Remove user (ROOT, ADMIN) |
| PUT | `/api/v1/admin/accounts/{account_id}/users/{user_id}/role` | Change user role (ROOT) |
| POST | `/api/v1/admin/accounts/{account_id}/users/{user_id}/key` | Regenerate user key (ROOT, ADMIN) |

## Related Documentation

- [Resources](02-resources.md) - Resource management API
- [Retrieval](06-retrieval.md) - Search API
- [File System](03-filesystem.md) - File system operations
- [Sessions](05-sessions.md) - Session management
- [Skills](04-skills.md) - Skill management
- [System](07-system.md) - System and monitoring API
- [Admin](08-admin.md) - Multi-tenant management API