Quick Start

Go from zero to your first API response in under a minute. No sign-up, no account creation -- just a cURL command and the public sandbox key.

Prerequisites

All you need is an HTTP client. The examples below use cURL, JavaScript (fetch), and Python (requests), but any language or tool works.

Step 1: Make your first request

Search for holiday properties in Exmoor that sleep at least 4 guests:

cURL

curl "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/search?place=exmoor&guests=4" \
  -H "X-API-Key: bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production"

JavaScript

const response = await fetch(
  "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/search?place=exmoor&guests=4",
  {
    headers: {
      "X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production",
    },
  }
);

const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

Python

import requests

response = requests.get(
    "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/search",
    params={"place": "exmoor", "guests": 4},
    headers={"X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production"},
)

data = response.json()
print(data)

Step 2: Understand the response

The search endpoint returns a paginated list of properties:

{
  "properties": [
    {
      "id": 312,
      "title": "Meadow Cottage",
      "slug": "meadow-cottage",
      "property_place_slug": "porlock",
      "bed_rooms": 3,
      "total_guest": 6,
      "bath_rooms": 2,
      "is_pets": true,
      "status": "active",
      "min_price": 595.00,
      "price_per_night": 85.00,
      "apply_price": "nightly",
      "thumbnailUrl": "https://storage.googleapis.com/bb-property-images/properties/312/meadow-cottage-main.jpg",
      "latitude": 51.2089,
      "longitude": -3.5915,
      "search_summary": "A charming thatched cottage with stunning views across Porlock Vale to the Bristol Channel.",
      "rating": 4.7
    }
  ],
  "total_property_on_search": 74,
  "current_page": 1,
  "num_pages": 4,
  "perpage": 20
}

Key fields:

Field	Description
properties	Array of property summaries matching your search
total_property_on_search	Total results across all pages
current_page	Current page (1-based)
num_pages	Total number of pages
perpage	Results per page (default 20, max 100)

Each property includes the essential information for a listing card: title, location, price, guest capacity, pet-friendliness, thumbnail image, and coordinates for map display.

Step 3: Get property details

Pick a property from the search results and fetch its full details using the id:

cURL

curl "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312" \
  -H "X-API-Key: bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production"

JavaScript

const response = await fetch(
  "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312",
  {
    headers: {
      "X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production",
    },
  }
);

const { data: property } = await response.json();
console.log(property.title);       // "Meadow Cottage"
console.log(property.description);  // Full editorial description
console.log(property.bed_rooms);    // 3
console.log(property.checkin);      // "16:00"

Python

response = requests.get(
    "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312",
    headers={"X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production"},
)

property = response.json()["data"]
print(property["title"])        # "Meadow Cottage"
print(property["description"])  # Full editorial description
print(property["bed_rooms"])    # 3

The property detail response includes everything you need for a full listing page: description, amenities, location details, pricing, check-in/check-out times, house rules, WiFi speeds, parking, EV charging, nearby attractions, and more.

Step 4: Check availability

Before a guest can book, check which dates are unavailable:

cURL

curl "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312/unavailableDates?year=2026&month=7" \
  -H "X-API-Key: bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production"

JavaScript

const response = await fetch(
  "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312/unavailableDates?year=2026&month=7",
  {
    headers: {
      "X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production",
    },
  }
);

const unavailableDates = await response.json();
// ["2026-07-05", "2026-07-06", "2026-07-07", ...]

Python

response = requests.get(
    "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312/unavailableDates",
    params={"year": "2026", "month": "7"},
    headers={"X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production"},
)

unavailable_dates = response.json()
# ["2026-07-05", "2026-07-06", "2026-07-07", ...]

The response is a flat array of date strings (YYYY-MM-DD) that are booked or blocked. Use these to grey out dates in your calendar widget.

Step 5: Calculate the price

Once the guest has selected dates, calculate the exact price:

cURL

curl -X POST "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312/get-price" \
  -H "X-API-Key: bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "start_date": "2026-07-04",
    "num_nights": 7,
    "num_guests": 4
  }'

JavaScript

const response = await fetch(
  "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312/get-price",
  {
    method: "POST",
    headers: {
      "X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production",
      "Content-Type": "application/json",
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      start_date: "2026-07-04",
      num_nights: 7,
      num_guests: 4,
    }),
  }
);

const pricing = await response.json();
console.log(pricing.response);          // 0 = available
console.log(pricing.final_total_price); // 925.00
console.log(pricing.cleaning_fee);      // 45.00

Python

response = requests.post(
    "https://app.bookingbrain.com/api/v1/developer/properties/312/get-price",
    json={
        "start_date": "2026-07-04",
        "num_nights": 7,
        "num_guests": 4,
    },
    headers={"X-API-Key": "bb_sandbox_test_key_do_not_use_in_production"},
)

pricing = response.json()
print(pricing["response"])          # 0 = available
print(pricing["final_total_price"]) # 925.00

The price response tells you:

Field	Description
response	0 = available. Non-zero means there is a conflict (see Booking Flow)
price	Accommodation charge before fees
cleaning_fee	Cleaning fee (if applicable)
service_fee	Service fee (if applicable)
final_total_price	Total the guest pays, including all fees and discounts
security_deposit	Refundable security deposit
discount	Discount details if a promotional rate applies

Next steps

You have now completed the read-only portion of the API. From here:

• Booking Flow Guide -- Continue the journey: create a booking and process payment
• Authentication -- Understand production keys, IP whitelisting, and security
• Error Handling -- Handle errors and rate limits gracefully
• AI Integration -- Use the API with AI function calling
• API Reference -- Full documentation for all 22 endpoints