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Quickstart Guide

Get your first monitor running in 5 minutes.

1. Get Your API Key​

First, create a free account and generate an API key:

  1. Sign up at app.need2.watch
  2. Navigate to Settings > API Keys
  3. Click Create API Key
  4. Copy the key (starts with n2w_live_ or n2w_test_)

Your API key provides full access to your account. Keep it secure and never commit it to version control.

2. Create Your First Monitor​

Create a monitor using natural language:

curl -X POST https://api.need2.watch/v1/monitors \
  -H "X-API-Key: n2w_live_xxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "mode": "nlp",
    "intent": "Monitor iPhone 16 Pro price on Amazon",
    "sensitivity": 0.5,
    "checkIntervalSeconds": 3600
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "mon-abc123",
  "name": "Monitor iPhone 16 Pro price on Amazon",
  "status": "active",
  "mode": "nlp",
  "intent": "Monitor iPhone 16 Pro price on Amazon",
  "sensitivity": 0.5,
  "check_interval_seconds": 3600,
  "source_count": 3,
  "created_at": 1706198400000,
  "updated_at": 1706198400000,
  "interpreted_as": {
    "product": "iPhone 16 Pro",
    "metric": "price",
    "sites": ["amazon.com"]
  }
}

Our AI:

  • Understands your intent ("Monitor iPhone 16 Pro price")
  • Discovers relevant URLs automatically
  • Extracts price information using VLM
  • Monitors for changes every hour

3. Check for Changes​

Query recent changes:

curl -X GET "https://api.need2.watch/v1/monitors/mon-abc123" \
  -H "X-API-Key: n2w_live_xxxxx"

Response:

{
  "id": "mon-abc123",
  "name": "Monitor iPhone 16 Pro price on Amazon",
  "status": "active",
  "mode": "nlp",
  "source_count": 3,
  "last_check_at": 1706202000000,
  "created_at": 1706198400000,
  "updated_at": 1706202000000
}

4. Set Up Webhooks (Optional)​

Get notified instantly when changes are detected:

curl -X POST https://api.need2.watch/v1/webhooks \
  -H "X-API-Key: n2w_live_xxxxx" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/need2watch"
  }'

Response:

{
  "id": "wh-xyz789",
  "url": "https://your-app.com/webhooks/need2watch",
  "secret": "whsec_abc123xyz789...",
  "active": true,
  "created_at": 1706198400000
}

Save the secret - you'll need it to verify webhook signatures (see Webhook Guide).

That's it!​

You're now monitoring the web with Need2Watch. Your monitor will check for changes every hour and notify you via webhook when important updates are detected.

Next Steps​

Authentication Options​

Need2Watch supports two authentication methods:

Use the X-API-Key header:

curl https://api.need2.watch/v1/monitors \
  -H "X-API-Key: n2w_live_xxxxx"

JWT Bearer Token​

Authenticate with email/password first:

# Login
curl -X POST https://api.need2.watch/v1/auth/login \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "email": "developer@example.com",
    "password": "SecurePassword123!"
  }'

Then use the access token:

curl https://api.need2.watch/v1/monitors \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIs..."

API keys are simpler and recommended for most use cases.

Rate Limits​

Free tier limits:

  • 10 monitors maximum
  • 100 API requests per day
  • 15 minute minimum check interval

Upgrade to Full tier for unlimited monitors and higher limits. See pricing.