> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.shovels.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Can I Automate API Calls?

> Learn how to automate Shovels API calls by integrating the API into your applications using programming languages like Python.

Yes, developers can automate API calls by integrating the Shovels API into their applications.

## Getting Started

The API can be integrated using any programming language that supports HTTP requests. Common choices include:

* Python
* JavaScript/Node.js
* Java
* Go
* Ruby
* PHP

## Example: Python Integration

```python theme={null}
import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY_HERE"
BASE_URL = "https://api.shovels.ai/v2"

headers = {
    "X-API-Key": API_KEY
}

# Search for permits
response = requests.get(
    f"{BASE_URL}/permits/search",
    headers=headers,
    params={
        "geo_id": "CA",
        "permit_from": "2024-01-01",
        "size": 100
    }
)

data = response.json()
print(f"Found {len(data['items'])} permits")
```

## Code Snippets in Documentation

Our [API documentation](/api-reference) provides code snippets in multiple languages for each endpoint, making it easy to generate integration code for your preferred language.

## Best Practices for Automation

1. **Handle credit and rate limits** - Implement backoff when approaching limits
2. **Use pagination** - Process large result sets in batches
3. **Cache results** - Store data locally to minimize API calls
4. **Error handling** - Handle both errors and empty results gracefully
5. **Respect the API** - Avoid frivolous or unnecessary requests

<Tip>
  Check your API usage in Profile Settings to monitor your credit consumption.
</Tip>

## Related Articles

* [API documentation](/api-reference)
* [API credit limits](/docs/knowledge-base/api/basics/credit-limits)
* [API rate limits](/docs/knowledge-base/api/basics/rate-limits)
* [How do API credits work?](/docs/knowledge-base/api/basics/request-counts)