Help / FAQ / App Garden
What is The App Garden?
Flickr has an open Application Programming Interface (API for short). This means that anyone can write their own program to remix Flickr data (like photos, video, tags, profiles or groups) in new and different ways.
The App Garden is a place where developers can showcase the applications they've created, and where you can find new ways to explore Flickr. The App Garden is not a place for your personal portfolio, group website, business services, or for any applications which you have not created yourself.
If you’re interested in learning more about developing apps for the API, our FAQs on creating apps and the Flickr API are a great place to start.
What is an app and how do I use it?
An application ("app") can be a website, a program you download, something for your mobile device, or something new and cool we haven't even thought of before! The app page itself will tell you what it's about and how to use it.
The app page says some comments have been deleted, what does that mean?
Just like on a photo page, the owner of an app page can delete comments. This allows the developer to delete spam or other unwanted comments.
However, since someone using the app might want a more complete picture of the activity around it we show how many comments, by how many people, have been deleted. Deleting comments is not necessarily bad. It may be that someone was being abusive or spamming the page. We include this as another piece of information to consider when looking at an app page.
I need help using an app?
If you need help using an application you've found in the App Garden the best thing to do is contact the developer.
Because the apps are not created by Flickr, we don't provide any support or assistance in using them. You may want to check the website linked from the app page, leave a comment on the app page, or try contacting the developer via FlickrMail.
Why does "View Website" take me off Flickr?
An app page lets a developer give information on an application they've created. The page itself only shows information and lets you comment. If it sounds interesting, you can visit the website for more information or to try it out.
Upon clicking "View Website" you leave flickr.com and will be taken to the website specified by the developer for that app. This is a 3rd party site that isn't reviewed, controlled, or endorsed by Flickr. You should review the site and its policies before using or installing any applications there.
Flickr is not responsible for the content or features provided by outside application developers, nor for any Flickr members decision to make use of outside applications.
If you see anything suspicious please return to this app page and use the Report Abuse link that’s available in the footer of every page on Flickr to let us know.
Where are my favorite apps?
When you favorite apps in the App Garden they show in a separate place from your faved photos and videos. You can see them by going to Apps By You and then Your Favorite Apps.
I am not a programmer - what exactly is the Flickr API and what does it mean to me?
API stands for Application Programming Interface which allows outside ("third party") applications or websites to communicate with Flickr and exchange information. This exchange allows developers to create cool programs or services that make use of data from Flickr. That might mean allowing you to use your photos to make a calendar, introducing new ways for presenting public photos, or enhancing your Flickr experience with tools or features which Flickr doesn't offer directly.
There are many popular third party applications built by clever developers, and Flickr's open API allows them to create these. Some developers create games, screen savers, photo albums, and lots more. For some samples, check out the App Garden.
API developers have to agree to a number of things in a separate TOS in order to create an application based on it. Some of these things are:
- Comply with the Flickr Community Guidelines
- Respect the copyright and usage restrictions on member content
- Remove content from an application upon direct request by a member to the developer
- Disclose how any information gathered is used on their site
Please note: It is possible for developers to build unauthorised applications that access public photos on Flickr. Not everything you see is built upon the Flickr API.
How do I opt-out of the Flickr API?
If you would like your images to be excluded from Flickr API applications that search Flickr for content, you may opt out here, checking the 2nd and/or 3rd boxes on that page to hide your images and/or your profile from API searches.
Please note: If you hide your profile from searches, this will hide your screen name from profile searches on Flickr and some applications that use this, like Facebook.
On the main privacy options page, you also have the ability to change settings for others sharing your stuff (including embed codes and the Blog This button), who can print and who can download your originals.
I'd like to report abuse on an app or site that I think is abusing the Flickr API
Ok then. If you see a site that you think may be abusing the Flickr API, you may use Report Abuse to tell us. The more specific you can be in your message, the better. For instance, if you saw an image of yours on a particular site, tell us how you came across it on the site. If you had to search for it, let us know how you did it.