download.com APIdownload.com ↗
Access CNET Download's software catalog via API. Search by keyword, filter by platform and category, retrieve specs, ratings, and download trigger URLs.
curl -X GET 'https://api.parse.bot/scraper/8e8c84dc-dba5-43b7-b883-fbad1cfeb84c/search_software?sort=most-popular&query=video+editor' \ -H 'X-API-Key: $PARSE_API_KEY'
Search for software by keyword on download.cnet.com. Returns up to 10 results per query. Supports sorting by relevance, popularity, or newest releases. Some queries may return fewer or no results depending on the site's search index.
| Param | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| sort | string | Sort order: relevance, most-popular, new-releases. |
| queryrequired | string | The search term (e.g. 'vlc', 'chrome', 'antivirus'). |
| platform | string | Platform to search for: windows, mac, android, ios. |
{
"type": "object",
"fields": {
"query": "string, the search term used",
"results": "array of software objects with name, slug, product_url, license_type, description, rating, platform, category"
},
"sample": {
"data": {
"query": "vlc",
"results": [
{
"name": "VLC Media Player (32-bit)",
"slug": "vlc-media-player-32-bit",
"rating": "4.3 out of 5 stars",
"category": "video",
"platform": "Windows",
"description": "A popular free media player",
"product_url": "https://download.cnet.com/vlc-media-player-32-bit/3000-13632_4-10267151.html",
"license_type": "Free"
}
]
},
"status": "success"
}
}About the download.com API
The CNET Download API exposes 7 endpoints covering software search, platform listings, category browsing, product details, and download links from download.cnet.com. The get_software_details endpoint returns structured specs including version, OS, total downloads, user rating, and a download trigger URL. Use search_software to query the catalog by keyword with optional platform and sort filters, or browse curated lists via get_most_popular and get_new_releases.
Search and Browse the Software Catalog
The search_software endpoint accepts a required query parameter plus optional platform (windows, mac, android, ios) and sort (relevance, most-popular, new-releases) filters. Each result includes name, slug, product_url, license_type, description, rating, platform, and category. Results are capped at 10 per query, and some searches may return fewer results depending on the CNET index.
get_platform_listings and get_category_listings expose paginated browsing via a page integer. get_category_listings requires a category slug — verified working values include browsers, chat-voip-email, developers, and education — and optionally a platform filter. get_most_popular and get_new_releases return the top apps for a platform sorted by popularity or release date, respectively, without pagination.
Product Details and Download Links
get_software_details returns the most field-rich response in the API. It accepts either a full url or a slug plus product_id pair. The specs object contains technical metadata such as release date, latest update, version string, platform, operating system, and total download count. The endpoint also returns a program_id UUID, program_slug, a related_links array of related software, and a download_trigger_url.
get_download_link takes either a combined slug/product-id string or a full trigger_url and returns both the trigger_url and a direct_download_link. When the download is initiated via JavaScript on the source page rather than a static file URL, the field returns an explanatory message instead of a file URL. This distinction is surfaced explicitly in the response, so callers can handle both cases programmatically.
- Populate a software recommendation engine with ratings, license types, and categories from
search_software. - Track the latest Windows or Mac releases using
get_new_releasesfiltered by platform. - Build a software directory that surfaces total download counts and version strings from
get_software_detailsspecs. - Monitor top apps in a specific category (e.g.,
developersorbrowsers) usingget_category_listingswith pagination. - Retrieve download trigger URLs for software items to link users directly to the CNET download page.
- Compare popularity rankings across platforms using
get_most_popularfor windows, mac, android, and iphone.
| Tier | Price | Credits/month | Rate limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0/mo | 100 | 5 req/min |
| Hobby | $30/mo | 1,000 | 20 req/min |
| Developer | $100/mo | 5,000 | 250 req/min |
One credit = one API call regardless of which marketplace API you call. Exceeding the rate limit returns a 429 response. Authenticate with the X-API-Key header.
Does CNET Download have an official developer API?+
What does `get_software_details` return that the listing endpoints don't?+
get_software_details endpoint returns structured data not present in list responses: a specs object with version, operating system, release date, latest update, and total download count; a program_id UUID; a program_slug; a related_links array; and a download_trigger_url. Listing endpoints return only name, slug, product_url, license_type, description, rating, platform, and category.Can `get_download_link` always return a direct file URL?+
direct_download_link returns an explanatory message instead of a file URL, and trigger_url is provided as a fallback. The response always distinguishes between these two cases.Does the API expose user reviews or individual review text for software listings?+
rating strings (e.g., '4.4 out of 5 stars') across all endpoints, but individual review text, reviewer names, and per-review scores are not included in any response. You can fork this API on Parse and revise it to add an endpoint that extracts individual review data from a software product page.How does pagination work across the browsing endpoints?+
get_platform_listings and get_category_listings accept an integer page parameter and return the requested page value alongside results. get_most_popular and get_new_releases do not support pagination — they return a single result set for the requested platform.