Random Joke

Overview

Every GET request pulls a joke split into an opening setup and a concluding punchline. The endpoint accepts no query parameters, serving an unprompted selection on each call. Paid subscriptions append a numeric quality score to each returned joke.

Live Test Random Joke API →

Endpoint

One host, one path per API. The block below shows this call in four languages; every one of them is the same HTTP request. Making requests covers the timeouts, retries and parameter rules that apply to all of them. The SDKs wrap the same call in a typed client.

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curl "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/randomjoke" \
  -H "x-api-key: your_api_key_here"

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const res = await fetch('https://api.apiverve.com/v1/randomjoke', {
  headers: { 'x-api-key': 'your_api_key_here' },
});

if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);

const { data } = await res.json();
console.log(data);

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import requests

res = requests.get(
    "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/randomjoke",
    headers={"x-api-key": "your_api_key_here"},
    timeout=15,
)
res.raise_for_status()

print(res.json()["data"])

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package main

import (
	"fmt"
	"io"
	"net/http"
)

func main() {
	req, _ := http.NewRequest("GET", "https://api.apiverve.com/v1/randomjoke", nil)
	req.Header.Set("x-api-key", "your_api_key_here")

	res, err := http.DefaultClient.Do(req)
	if err != nil {
		panic(err)
	}
	defer res.Body.Close()

	out, _ := io.ReadAll(res.Body)
	fmt.Println(string(out))
}

Replace your_api_key_here with the key from your dashboard. When the inputs arrive as a list rather than one at a time, batch requests run up to 200 of them through this same API in a single call.

Authentication

Send your key in the x-api-key header. That is the only auth step — there is no token exchange and no per-endpoint scope to configure. Authentication covers creating, rotating and revoking keys.

Response

Every API returns the same three top-level keys, so one response handler covers your whole integration: status, error and data. Only data changes shape. Response format covers the envelope, the other output formats and how premium fields are withheld.

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{
  "status": "ok",
  "error": null,
  "data": {
    "score": 7,
    "setup": "Why is the space between a woman's chest and her hips called a waist?",
    "punchline": "Because you could easily fit another pair of tits in there."
  }
}

Response fields

Paths are relative to data. Premium fields are absent rather than zeroed on plans that do not include them, so check for presence instead of comparing to 0.

Errors

Read the HTTP status first, then error for the specific reason. The body names the parameter that has to change. Error handling covers the full status list and which of them are worth retrying.

Use cases

CLI MOTD Banners

To lighten command-line workflows, terminal scripts fetch and print a setup and punchline whenever an engineer opens a shell session.

Interactive Kiosk Idling

When visitors leave a public touchscreen idle, display software cycles through jokes to draw pedestrians back to the screen.

Livestream Overlay Alerts

During broadcast breaks, streaming software displays a joke setup followed by punchline text on screen to entertain waiting viewers.

Push Notification Punchlines

Mobile apps boost daily retention by delivering the joke setup as a notification teaser and revealing the punchline on tap.

Other ways to use Random Joke

Set up Random Joke on APIVerve, or reach the same source a different way. Your APIVerve account and credits work on all of them — one key, one balance.

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