# API FAQ: keys, errors, pagination, updates Source: https://subalytics.com/docs/faq/ > Answers to common Subalytics API questions: getting a key, authentication, 401/403/400 errors, pagination, update times and syncing. ## Access and keys ### How do I get an API key? [Request access](https://subalytics.com/request-access/) and tell us which data you need. Each key is enabled for specific endpoints, and you can ask to add endpoints to an existing key. ### How do I authenticate? Send the key in the `X-API-key` header with every request to `https://subalytics.com/api/v1/`. See [authentication](https://subalytics.com/docs/#authentication). ### Does my key include company mentions? Not automatically. Entity mentions is a separate product with its own access: keys for other endpoints don't include the `entity-*` endpoints, and the reverse. See [about entity mentions](https://subalytics.com/docs/entity-overview/). ### Which podcasts can I query? Podcast endpoints return only the podcasts your key includes, with their episodes and transcripts. ## Errors ### Why do I get 401 Unauthorized? The API key is missing, or it isn't enabled for the endpoint you called. ### Why do I get 403 Forbidden? The request names a podcast, by `sub_id`, or one of its episodes, by `episode_sub_id`, that your key doesn't include. ### Why do I get 400 "Unknown parameters"? Any query parameter not listed for an endpoint is rejected with `400`, so check the spelling against the endpoint's page. Invalid dates, date ranges, limits, cursors and `min_confidence` values also return `400`, and the message says which. ### What should I do about a 500 error? Something went wrong on our side. Retry later, and check the [API status](https://subalytics.com/docs/status/) page. ### Is an empty result an error? No. An empty `results` list is a successful response. ## Pagination and dates ### How many results can I get per request? `limit` defaults to 25, with a maximum of 100. Full podcast transcripts (`full=true`) default to 10, with a maximum of 10, because one transcript can be 1–2 MB. ### How do I page through results? Cursor endpoints return `next_cursor`: pass it back as `cursor` until it is `null`. Offset endpoints take `offset`. Each endpoint's page says which it uses. See [pagination](https://subalytics.com/docs/#pagination). ### What time zone and format are dates in? UTC, as `YYYY-MM-DD` or `YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SS`. Podcast and entity mentions responses return ISO 8601 with a `Z` suffix, the same format the filters accept. See [date filters](https://subalytics.com/docs/#date-filters). ### Do paths need a trailing slash? Yes. Every endpoint path ends with `/`, for example `/api/v1/podcasts/`. ## Updates and syncing ### How often is the data updated? - **Creators:** a weekly snapshot of each creator. - **Podcasts:** new episodes are transcribed in a daily run at 05:00 UTC. - **Company mentions:** Bluesky posts usually appear within minutes, Substack posts after each collection run, and podcast episodes within a few hours of the daily run. ### How do I keep my copy in sync? Ask only for what changed since your last sync with `updated_from` (and, for episodes, `transcribed_from`). Start each sync a few minutes before the previous one; receiving the same record twice is harmless. See the [daily podcast sync guide](https://subalytics.com/docs/podcast-sync/). ### Can a transcript change after it is published? Yes, for example when speaker names are filled in later. Its `updated_at` changes, so an `updated_from` sync picks it up again. ### Can a company mention disappear? Yes. Past content is re-checked as matching improves, which can add, change or remove mentions. Removals don't show up in an `updated_from` sync, so re-pull a recent window (e.g. the last 30 days) periodically if you need an exact match. ### Are speaker names always available? No. Speaker identification is automatic and best-effort: any of `name`, `role`, `title` and `company` may be `null`. See [podcast transcripts](https://subalytics.com/docs/podcast-transcripts/). ## Tools ### Is there an OpenAPI spec? Yes, an OpenAPI 3.1 description is at [`/openapi.json`](https://subalytics.com/openapi.json), for API clients, code generators and AI tools. ### Can I read the docs as Markdown? Yes. Add `.md` to any docs page, for example `/docs/podcast-transcripts.md`, or get every page in one file at [`/llms-full.txt`](https://subalytics.com/llms-full.txt). ### Can I check whether the API is up? Yes. See [API status](https://subalytics.com/docs/status/), or call `GET /api/status/`, which returns `{"status": "live"}` and needs no key.