# Britannica API > Britannica returns encyclopedia articles, summaries, facts, and search results as a workflow and API. Britannica, also known as Encyclopaedia Britannica, provides article details through Get article, which needs a topic. Search articles returns matching article titles, descriptions, links, and shown images; it needs search words and can take a maximum result count. - Page: https://fous.com/tools/britannica - Handle: `@britannica` - Category: [Education](https://fous.com/tools/category/education) - Source website: https://britannica.com - Last verified: Sep 29, 2026 ## Methods ### Get article Operation `get_article`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. Find the best-matching Britannica encyclopedia article for a topic and return its introduction, quick facts, section headings, update date, and image. Only details shown on public pages are included. **Input** | Field | Type | Required | Example | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `topic` | string | yes | `"Eiffel Tower"` | Topic, person, place, or event to look up, for example Marie Curie. | **Input schema** ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "topic" ], "properties": { "topic": { "type": "string", "description": "Topic, person, place, or event to look up, for example Marie Curie.", "examples": [ "Eiffel Tower", "Marie Curie", "photosynthesis" ] } }, "additionalProperties": false, "examples": [ { "topic": "Eiffel Tower" }, { "topic": "Marie Curie" }, { "topic": "photosynthesis" } ] } ``` **Output** | Field | Type | Example | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `title` | string | `"Eiffel Tower"` | Article title. | | `summary` | string or null | `"Eiffel Tower, wrought-iron structure in Paris that is among the most famous landmarks in the world. It is also a techno` | Opening paragraphs in plain text. | | `description` | string or null | `"Eiffel Tower, wrought-iron structure in Paris that is one of the most famous landmarks in the world."` | Short description of the article. | | `quick_facts` | array | | Facts shown on the article page. | | `quick_facts[].label` | string | `"French"` | | | `quick_facts[].value` | string | `"Tour Eiffel"` | | | `article_link` | string | `"https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eiffel-Tower-Paris-France"` | Britannica article URL. | | `last_updated` | string or null | `"2026-09-11"` | Article update date, if shown. | | `main_image_link` | string or null | `"https://cdn.britannica.com/52/245552-050-3D7334F9/Eiffel-Tower-Paris.jpg"` | Main image URL, if shown. | | `section_headings` | array | | Section headings in article order. | **Example input** ```json { "topic": "Eiffel Tower" } ``` **Example output** ```json { "title": "Eiffel Tower", "summary": "Eiffel Tower, wrought-iron structure in Paris that is among the most famous landmarks in the world. It is also a technological masterpiece in building-construction history. It was designed and built (…", "description": "Eiffel Tower, wrought-iron structure in Paris that is one of the most famous landmarks in the world.", "quick_facts": [ { "label": "French", "value": "Tour Eiffel" } ], "article_link": "https://www.britannica.com/topic/Eiffel-Tower-Paris-France", "last_updated": "2026-09-11", "main_image_link": "https://cdn.britannica.com/52/245552-050-3D7334F9/Eiffel-Tower-Paris.jpg", "section_headings": [ "Background and construction", "Description and dimensions", "Tourist attraction" ] } ``` ### Search articles Operation `search_articles`, version 1. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. Search Britannica for encyclopedia articles and return their titles, short descriptions, article links, and images when shown. Excludes other search formats such as videos, questions, and stories. **Input** | Field | Type | Required | Example | Description | |---|---|---|---|---| | `query` | string | yes | `"French Revolution"` | Words to search for, such as French Revolution. | | `max_results` | integer | no | `50` | Maximum number of articles to return, such as 10. | **Input schema** ```json { "type": "object", "required": [ "query" ], "properties": { "query": { "type": "string", "minLength": 1, "description": "Words to search for, such as French Revolution.", "examples": [ "French Revolution", "abcdefghxyznonexistentwordzz", "Albert Einstein" ] }, "max_results": { "type": "integer", "default": 10, "maximum": 50, "minimum": 1, "description": "Maximum number of articles to return, such as 10.", "x-fous-developer": true, "examples": [ 50 ] } }, "additionalProperties": false, "examples": [ { "query": "French Revolution" }, { "query": "abcdefghxyznonexistentwordzz" }, { "query": "Albert Einstein", "max_results": 50 } ] } ``` **Output** | Field | Type | Example | Description | |---|---|---|---| | `articles` | array | | Matching encyclopedia articles in Britannica search order. | | `articles[].title` | string | `"French Revolution"` | Article title. | | `articles[].image_url` | string or null | `"https://cdn.britannica.com/40/167640-050-A45EDB7E/execution-Louis-XVI-1793.jpg?w=300&h=1000"` | Image link if the search listing shows one. | | `articles[].article_url` | string | `"https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution"` | Link to the article on Britannica. | | `articles[].description` | string or null | `"French Revolution, revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799. It reached its first climax in 1789 ` | Short description from the search listing, if shown. | **Example input** ```json { "query": "French Revolution" } ``` **Example output** ```json { "articles": [ { "title": "French Revolution", "image_url": "https://cdn.britannica.com/40/167640-050-A45EDB7E/execution-Louis-XVI-1793.jpg?w=300&h=1000", "article_url": "https://www.britannica.com/event/French-Revolution", "description": "French Revolution, revolutionary movement that shook France between 1787 and 1799. It reached its first climax in 1789 when the ancien régime in France was overthrown. The revolution was a complex ser…" }, { "title": "France - Revolution, Napoleon, Empire", "image_url": null, "article_url": "https://www.britannica.com/place/France/Napoleon-and-the-Revolution", "description": "The Revolutionary legacy for Napoleon consisted above all in the abolition of the ancien régime's most archaic features—“feudalism,” seigneurialism, ..." }, { "title": "Germany - French Revolution, Napoleonic Era", "image_url": null, "article_url": "https://www.britannica.com/place/Germany/The-French-Revolutionary-and-Napoleonic-era", "description": "In transforming the Bourbon kingdom into a constitutional state, the French Revolution aroused intense excitement east of the Rhine. ..." } ] } ``` ## Quick start Replace `YOUR_API_KEY` with a Fous API key. To create one, open Developers at the bottom of Fous Studio, turn on Developer mode, then go to API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys). Change the values in `input` to run the same tool on new data. ```bash curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \ --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 180 \ -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \ -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \ --data-raw '{ "api": "@britannica", "visibility": "public", "operation": "get_article", "version": 1, "input": { "topic": "Eiffel Tower" }, "response": { "format": "json" } }' ``` ```python # Save as fous.py and run with python3 fous.py. No packages needed. import json import urllib.error import urllib.request api_key = "YOUR_API_KEY" body = json.loads("{\n \"api\": \"@britannica\",\n \"visibility\": \"public\",\n \"operation\": \"get_article\",\n \"version\": 1,\n \"input\": {\n \"topic\": \"Eiffel Tower\"\n },\n \"response\": {\n \"format\": \"json\"\n }\n}") request = urllib.request.Request( "https://api.fous.com/v1/query", data=json.dumps(body).encode("utf-8"), headers={ "Authorization": f"Bearer {api_key}", "Content-Type": "application/json", }, method="POST", ) try: with urllib.request.urlopen(request, timeout=180) as response: result = json.load(response) except urllib.error.HTTPError as error: raise RuntimeError(f"HTTP {error.code}: {error.read().decode('utf-8', errors='replace')}") from error if result.get("success") is False: raise RuntimeError(result.get("error", {}).get("message", "Request failed")) print(json.dumps(result["data"]["output"], indent=2)) ``` ```typescript // Save as fous.mts and run with npx tsx fous.mts. const apiKey = "YOUR_API_KEY"; const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", { method: "POST", headers: { "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`, "Content-Type": "application/json", }, signal: AbortSignal.timeout(180_000), body: JSON.stringify({ "api": "@britannica", "visibility": "public", "operation": "get_article", "version": 1, "input": { "topic": "Eiffel Tower" }, "response": { "format": "json" } }), }); type ApiResult = { success: boolean; data?: { output: unknown }; error?: { message: string } }; const result: ApiResult = await response.json(); if (!response.ok || result.success === false) { throw new Error(result.error?.message ?? `HTTP ${response.status}`); } if (!result.data) throw new Error("Missing API response data"); console.log(result.data.output); ``` ## Use from an AI assistant Connect this tool to Claude Code, Claude Desktop, Cursor, VS Code, Codex and any MCP client as its own MCP server. Each method is a typed tool whose arguments are the method’s input. - Server URL: `https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/britannica` - Authorization: `Authorization: Bearer ` **Tools** - `get_article`: Get article. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. - `search_articles`: Search articles. 1 credit per completed call. Failed calls without a completed billing receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. - `fous_get_run`: the result of a run that was still going, by its `request_id`. Free. Claude Code: ```bash claude mcp add --scope user --transport http fous-britannica https://api.fous.com/mcp/tools/britannica --header "Authorization: Bearer ${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY to your Fous API key}" ``` To give the assistant every tool, connect `https://api.fous.com/mcp`: it finds one with `fous_search_tools` and runs it with `fous_run_tool`. Setup for other clients: https://fous.com/llms-full.txt. ## Use cases - Find encyclopedia articles about a topic - Review article summaries and quick facts - Browse article section headings - Search for articles on a subject - Collect article titles and descriptions ## FAQ ### Can I run it with my own inputs? Yes. Change the inputs in Studio and press Run, or send new inputs from your code, or ask a connected AI assistant. ### Can I call this Britannica tool as an API? Yes. Send a POST request to /v1/query with your Fous API key and the inputs, and get JSON back. ### How much does it cost? Each completed run costs 1 credit. Failed runs without a completed receipt are free; completed work can remain charged if delivery is interrupted. With pay as you go, a credit costs 1¢. Monthly plans cost less per credit. ### Do I need a Britannica account? No. You only need a Fous account. ### How current is the data? Fous gets the data from britannica.com when you run it. Some results are reused for up to 24 hours, and results that use your account or key are never reused. It was last verified on Sep 29, 2026. ### What does an article say about a topic? Get article returns the matching article’s summary, description, quick facts, and section headings. ### Which Britannica articles match my search? Search articles returns matching article titles and short descriptions, with links and images when shown. ### When was an article updated? Get article returns the article update date if it is shown. ## Related - [All Education tools](https://fous.com/tools/category/education)