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How to set up your browser to access the Europeana APIs

How to set up your browser to access the Europeana APIs

To use the Europeana’s APIs, you will need to provide an API key to gain access. In the past, this was typically done by adding the wskey parameter directly to the request URL of the respective API. However, this approach is being deprecated in favor of passing the API key through HTTP headers.

If you’re using a tool like Postman to test or develop your API calls, you can easily configure the required HTTP headers within the application. However, when sending API requests directly from a web browser, you can’t natively set custom HTTP headers.

Fortunately, most major web browsers offer extensions that let you add and manage HTTP headers when making API requests, allowing you to authenticate your calls with ease. Once configured, the setup only needs to be done once. After that, you can continue making requests without having to manually include or worry about your API key each time.

Please note that these browser add-ons are developed and maintained by third parties. As such, we are not responsible for their updates, availability, or any changes to their functionality or licensing terms. That said, we will make every effort to keep this page updated with any relevant changes to the recommended plugins.

If you don’t have an API key yet, you can read how to get one at Accessing the APIs

Which browser extension shall I use?

We evaluated several extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge based on functionality, convenience, flexibility, and security, and selected Header Editor (Lite) as our preferred option. Overall, it proved to be the most complete solution: it supports all 3 browsers, offers advanced filtering options, and allows you to export and import configurations—including across different browser types. You can find the differences between the 2 versions here.

For the purpose of using the Europeana APIs, the Lite version is fully sufficient and will be the version used throughout this guide. Other alternative are list at the bottom of this page.

Where can I download it?

Both versions of Header Editor are available for most major browsers. Below are the direct links where you can install the extension on your preferred browser:

Header Editor Lite

Chrome Logo Chrome

Firefox Logo Firefox

Edge Logo Edge

Header Editor (Full)

Chrome Logo Chrome

Firefox Logo Firefox

Edge Logo Edge

Once installed, you can pin the extension to your browser toolbar for quicker access and easier management.

 

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Screenshot of Firefox running on a Mac

If you follow the instructions in this guide, you should not need to disable the extension when browsing other websites.

How can I set up my browser to use the Europeana APIs?

  1. Open the Header Editor extension by clicking its icon in your browser’s toolbar.

  2. Once opened, click the gear icon to access the Manage screen.

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  1. Click the Add button on the top right of the window to create a new rule.

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  1. Add a Name to your rule

  2. Set the rule type to Modify request header

  3. Scroll down

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  1. Under Match Type, select Domain and set it to api.europeana.eu

  2. Click Add if you want to enter more than one matching rule

  3. Scroll down

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  1. Under Request headers, set the field on the left to x-api-key and fill the one on the right with you API key

  2. Click Save (wait we are not finished just yet)

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  1. After saving, your newly created rule will appear on the Rules list

  2. You now need to mark your rule as common by click on the three dots next to your rule and select Mark as common

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  1. You can now use the Europeana APIs without having to worry on adding your API key!

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Note all Europeana APIs are available under http://api.europeana.eu . If you need to access the IIIF, you can add an extra domain to your rule to include http://iiif.europeana.eu .

How can I transfer my rule to another browser or computer?

If you’ve already created and configured a rule in one browser and want to use it on another browser, computer, or device, you can transfer it instead of repeating the steps outlined earlier in this guide. This section explains how to do that.

Export the rule from the source browser

  1. Open Header Editor → Manage → Export and Import.

  2. Click Export.

  3. Save the file and copy it to a location accessible from the browser where you want to import it. The file will be named in the following format: HE_<date>_<time>.json

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Import the rule into the target browser (or device)

  1. On the browser or device where you want to install the rule, open Header Editor → Manage → Export and Import.

  2. Click Import.

  3. Locate the file in your device.

  4. Select the file and click Open.

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  1. An import screen will open, accept the default settings and click Save.

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  1. You can now use the Europeana APIs on your browser as well!

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Other available options

Please note that we have not tested any of these alternatives.

Chrome stats is a very useful resource to check Firefox, Chrome, Edge and Android add-ons, for instance searching for the “header” keyword. Here you can see which addons contain malware; the site also offers a risk assessment.

Firefox

Chrome

Edge

Safari

Unfortunately, we couldn’t find a free Safari extension available for testing. The App Store lists ChangeTheHeaders, and Requestly is also available for free; however, it does not run on Intel-based Macs.