# 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/workflows/britannica
- Handle: `@britannica`
- Category: [Education](https://fous.com/workflows/category/education)
- Source website: https://britannica.com
- Last verified: Sep 29, 2026
- Fous is not affiliated with Britannica.

## Methods

### Get article

Operation `get_article`, version 1. 1 credit per call.

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 call.

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

Call the API with a Fous API key (`FOUS_API_KEY`). To create one, turn on Developer mode in Fous Studio, then open Keys & connections → API keys (https://app.fous.com/keys).

```bash
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
: "${FOUS_API_KEY:?Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example}"

curl 'https://api.fous.com/v1/query' \
  --fail-with-body --silent --show-error --max-time 120 \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer $FOUS_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.
# First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
import json
import os
import urllib.error
import urllib.request

api_key = os.environ.get("FOUS_API_KEY")
if not api_key:
    raise RuntimeError("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example")

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=120) 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.
// First set your key: export FOUS_API_KEY='YOUR_FOUS_API_KEY'
const apiKey = process.env.FOUS_API_KEY;
if (!apiKey) throw new Error("Set FOUS_API_KEY before running this example");

const response = await fetch("https://api.fous.com/v1/query", {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "Authorization": `Bearer ${apiKey}`,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  signal: AbortSignal.timeout(120_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);
```

Or describe the data in plain language: send `{"api":"@britannica","prompt":"Describe the data you need, with every detail"}` to the same URL. Fous fills in the input, runs the method that fits and returns only the fields you asked for; `data.route.calls[].request` is the exact call it made. Routing is free; the run costs the same.

## 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

### Is Fous affiliated with Britannica?

No. Fous is not affiliated with Britannica. This workflow reads the public britannica.com website and returns its data.

### How much does it cost?

Each run costs 1 credit. 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; repeating the same request within a day may return the saved result. Fous checks this workflow automatically; it last passed a check 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

- [Wikipedia API](https://fous.com/workflows/wikipedia.md): Wikipedia returns article summaries, images, facts, relevant search matches, readable text and daily historical events, plus human-view counts from July 2015 onward.
- [BBC News API](https://fous.com/workflows/bbc-news.md): BBC News returns section-ordered headlines, searchable articles with dates, authors and sections (filters/newest sorting cover 180 matches), and article text with available latest live entries.
- [The Guardian API](https://fous.com/workflows/the-guardian.md): The Guardian provides news, sport, culture and opinion, ordered headlines, keyword-search results that may omit older or less prominent stories, and article details with available text; live blogs show the latest entries.
- [Fandom API](https://fous.com/workflows/fandom.md): Fan wikis for entertainment, games and popular culture.
- [Bing API](https://fous.com/workflows/bing.md): Bing returns ordered web results and recent news, plus AI answers with sources when available; news times are approximate, and images may be missing.
- [BrainyQuote API](https://fous.com/workflows/brainyquote.md): BrainyQuote returns topic-matched quotes in displayed order, a person’s description and up to 100 quotes with topic tags and links, or the quote shown for the chosen daily category and BrainyQuote’s current day.
- [AP News API](https://fous.com/workflows/ap-news.md): AP News provides reporting, up to 50 public-page headlines, searchable articles visible in its search, and full text when accessible.
- [Eventbrite API](https://fous.com/workflows/eventbrite.md): Eventbrite helps discover live and online events, with public search results that may be limited and event details that may omit public ticket listings.
- [All Education workflows](https://fous.com/workflows/category/education)