API Reference

Complete technical reference for the MOSS Checker REST API

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Base URL

https://mosschecker.com/api/v1

Authentication

X-API-Key: your_key

Content Type

application/json

Endpoints

POST /v1/check GET /v1/check/{id} GET /v1/check/{id}/results GET /v1/languages GET /v1/usage

Authentication

All API endpoints require authentication using an API key. Include your API key in the request header.

Method 1: X-API-Key Header (Recommended)

X-API-Key: moss_abc123def456...

Method 2: Bearer Token

Authorization: Bearer moss_abc123def456...

💡 Getting Your API Key: Navigate to Dashboard → API Keys and generate a new key.

POST /v1/check

Submit files for plagiarism detection. This is the primary endpoint for running MOSS checks.

Request Body Parameters

Field	Type	Required	Description
`language`	string	Yes	Programming language code (e.g., `python`, `java`, `javascript`)
`files`	array	Yes	Array of file objects (minimum 2 files required)
`files[].name`	string	Yes	Name of the file (e.g., `student1.py`)
`files[].content`	string	Yes	Base64-encoded file content

Example Request

curl -X POST https://mosschecker.com/api/v1/check \
  -H "X-API-Key: moss_your_api_key" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "language": "python",
    "files": [
      {
        "name": "student1.py",
        "content": "cHJpbnQoIkhlbGxvIHdvcmxkIik="
      },
      {
        "name": "student2.py",
        "content": "cHJpbnQoIkhlbGxvIHdvcmxkIik="
      }
    ]
  }'

Success Response (200 OK)

{
  "id": 12345,
  "status": "completed",
  "result_url": "https://mosschecker.com/moss_results/abc123/index.html",
  "matches_found": 5
}

Error Response (400 Bad Request)

{
"error": "Validation failed",
"message": "The language field is required."
}

GET /v1/check/{id}

Get the status and basic information about a specific plagiarism check.

URL Parameters

Parameter	Type	Description
`id`	integer	The check ID returned from POST /v1/check

Example Request

curl -X GET https://mosschecker.com/api/v1/check/12345 \
-H "X-API-Key: moss_your_api_key"

Success Response (200 OK)

{
  "id": 12345,
  "status": "completed",
  "language": "python",
  "files_count": 10,
  "matches_found": 5,
  "created_at": "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
  "completed_at": "2024-01-15T10:31:45Z"
}

Status Values: processing, completed, or failed

GET /v1/check/{id}/results

Get detailed results including all matches and similarity percentages.

Example Request

curl -X GET https://mosschecker.com/api/v1/check/12345/results \
-H "X-API-Key: moss_your_api_key"

Success Response (200 OK)

{
  "id": 12345,
  "status": "completed",
  "result_url": "https://mosschecker.com/moss_results/abc123/index.html",
  "matches_found": 2,
  "results": {
    "matches": [
      {
        "file1": "student1.py",
        "file1_percent": 85,
        "file2": "student2.py",
        "file2_percent": 78,
        "percentage": 85,
        "url": "https://mosschecker.com/moss_results/abc123/match0.html"
      },
      {
        "file1": "student3.py",
        "file1_percent": 62,
        "file2": "student4.py",
        "file2_percent": 59,
        "percentage": 62,
        "url": "https://mosschecker.com/moss_results/abc123/match1.html"
      }
    ]
  }
}

GET /v1/languages

Get a list of all supported programming languages. No authentication required.

Example Request

curl -X GET https://mosschecker.com/api/v1/languages

Success Response (200 OK)

{
  "languages": {
    "c": "C",
    "cc": "C++",
    "java": "Java",
    "python": "Python",
    "javascript": "JavaScript",
    // ... more languages
  }
}

GET /v1/usage

Get your current API usage statistics and plan limits.

Example Request

curl -X GET https://mosschecker.com/api/v1/usage \
-H "X-API-Key: moss_your_api_key"

Success Response (200 OK)

{
  "plan": "pure",
  "checks_today": 15,
  "checks_this_month": 234,
  "limits": {
    "daily_limit": 50,
    "storage_days": 7
  }
}

Error Codes

The API uses standard HTTP status codes to indicate success or failure.

Code	Status	Description
`200`	OK	Request successful
`400`	Bad Request	Invalid request parameters or missing required fields
`401`	Unauthorized	Invalid or missing API key
`404`	Not Found	Check ID not found or does not belong to your account
`429`	Too Many Requests	Rate limit exceeded - wait before retrying
`500`	Server Error	Something went wrong on our end - contact support if persistent

Error Response Format

{
"error": "Error type",
"message": "Detailed error message"
}

Rate Limits

Rate limits vary by subscription plan:

Plan	Daily Limit	Monthly Limit
Free	10 checks total	10 checks total
Pure Unlimited	50 checks/day	Unlimited
Ultimate Unlimited	500 checks/day	Unlimited
Enterprise Unlimited	Unlimited	Unlimited

⚠️ Rate Limit Response: When you exceed your rate limit, you'll receive a 429 Too Many Requests response. Implement exponential backoff in your client.

Need Help with the API?

Check out our comprehensive documentation with code examples in multiple languages, or contact our support team for integration assistance.

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