Shields API

⭐ Beginner's Pick Open Source Projects / No Auth Required Beginner HTTPS
Free to Use Varies (check documentation)

Overview

Shields.io is a free API that generates SVG and PNG badge images for use in README files and documentation — showing things like build status, version numbers, license, and download counts. No API key is needed, and you simply construct a URL to get the exact badge you want. It is one of the most beginner-friendly APIs because the result is an image you can embed immediately.

💡

Beginner Tip

Use the static badge endpoint for custom text: https://img.shields.io/badge/LABEL-MESSAGE-COLOR. Replace LABEL, MESSAGE, and COLOR with your values (e.g., /badge/status-active-brightgreen). Hyphens separate the three parts, and double hyphens produce a literal hyphen.

Available Data

Shields data via REST API
JSON-formatted response data
Freely accessible without authentication

Example Response

JSON Response
{
  "status": "success",
  "data": {
    "result": "Data from Shields",
    "description": "Concise, consistent, and legible badges in SVG and raster format",
    "timestamp": "2025-01-15T10:00:00Z"
  }
}

Field Reference

(SVG/PNG image) The response body is the badge image itself (SVG or PNG), not a JSON object — embed the URL directly in an img tag or Markdown
label Left-side text of the badge, typically describing the category (e.g., "build", "version")
message Right-side text showing the value or status (e.g., "passing", "1.0.0")
color Badge color name or hex code applied to the right section (e.g., "brightgreen", "red", "007ec6")
style Visual style of the badge: flat (default), flat-square, plastic, for-the-badge, or social

Implementation Example

const url = "https://shields.io/";
const response = await fetch(url);
if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`Request failed: ${response.status}`);
const data = await response.json();
console.log(data);

What Can You Build?

Note: These code examples are AI-generated and unverified. Always refer to the official API documentation for accurate usage.

Common Errors & Troubleshooting

Badge shows "invalid" or "error" text The dynamic data source (npm, GitHub, etc.) returned an unexpected response or is temporarily unavailable
Switch to a static badge while debugging, or check the data source URL directly to confirm it is working
Badge text has missing hyphens Hyphens in the label or message are used as separators; a double-hyphen is required for a literal hyphen
Replace literal hyphens in your text with -- (double hyphen) in the URL to display them correctly
SVG not rendering in some Markdown renderers Some platforms block SVG for security reasons
Request the PNG format by appending .png to the shield URL (e.g., /badge/build-passing-green.png)

Matrix Score Breakdown

🌐 Reachability 30/30
⚡ Speed 20/20
🔒 Security 15/15
🛠 Developer XP 20/20
✓ Reliability 7/15
Response Time 49ms

Fully tested on Apr 5, 2026

Technical Specifications

Auth No Auth
HTTPS REQUIRED
CORS UNKNOWN
Difficulty Beginner
Verified: 2026-04-04

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