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Google Data Protocol

What is the Google Data Protocol?

The Google Data Protocol is a REST-inspired technology for reading, writing, and modifying information on the web.

Many services at Google provide external access to data and functionality through APIs that utilize the Google Data Protocol. The protocol currently supports two primary modes of access:

  • AtomPub: Information is sent as a collection of Atom items, using the standard Atom syndication format to represent data and HTTP to handle communication. The Google Data Protocol extends AtomPub for processing queries, authentication, and batch requests.
  • JSON: Information is sent as JSON objects that mirror the Atom representation.

Developer's Guide

The Developer's Guide contains general information about the Google Data Protocol and its uses. For more information about a specific Google API, visit the API Directory.

API Directory

The API Directory lists of all of the Google APIs that use the Google Data Protocol. For example, if you're looking for information about the YouTube Data API, it's listed here.

Client Libraries

The Google Data client libraries provide tools and an abstraction layer so that you don't have to deal with HTTP requests or parse raw XML. Libraries are available for Java, JavaScript, .NET, PHP, and Python.

Articles and Guides

The Articles and Guides section contains "Getting Started" guides, example code, and other support material.